The panel of ISOBM TD-4 Workshop
antibodies was tested against a range of
carbohydrate antigens consisting of (a)
ovarian cyst mucins expressing A, B, H,
Le(a), Le(x), Le(b), Le(y) and precursor (nonfucosylated) specificities, (b) ovine submaxillary
mucin (OSM, expressing sialyl Tn) and desialylated OSM (expressing Tn) and (c) synthetic
glycoconjugates (Le(a)-PAA and Le(x)-PAA). The assay used was an ELISA method using rabbit anti-mouse Ig as the second
reagent. Thirty-five of the 51
antibodies were unreactive with this group of
antigens and presumably react with MUC1
peptide or a
carbohydrate specificity not represented. Two MAbs (127 and 128) detected
Le(x) antigen and one MAb (157) reacted with A
blood group. MAb 151 (and possibly 152) detected sialyl Tn
epitopes. Three
antibodies (139, 149 and 168) reacted with nonfucosylated structures (possibly LNT or LNneoT). A number of MAbs (137, 145, 162, 163 and 164) reacted widely with the panel of
antigens; whether these are nonspecific reactions due to 'sticky'
antibodies or caused by the presence of MUC1
peptide in the
antigen preparations is uncertain.