Nuclear proteins were extracted from purified nuclei of human primary breast tumors (BrT) and bladder tumors and of human normal breast, kidney and lymphocytes by enzymatic treatment. SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of nuclear proteins from breast tumors showed different bands in the molecular weight zones from 25 to 220 kDa which were absent or present only as traces in normal breast tissue. Murine monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) have been produced using nuclear extracts of human primary breast tumors as immunogens. Approximately 2,000 hybridomas were generated from 5 hybridizations. According to their reactivity to BrT nuclear extracts and mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7, seven hybridomas were selected and cloned. They were further characterized with histological immunoperoxidase assays of formaldehyde-fixed BrT paraffin tissue sections. MAb 6A3 particularly gave strong nuclear staining with all BrT specimens while MAb 1D8 showed both nuclear and cytoplasmic staining with only some of them. Specimens from mammoplasty did not react with these MAbs. Immunoblotting of BrT nuclear extracts as developed with MAbs 6A3 and 1D8 revealed major protein bands with molecular weight of 120 and 130 kDa. The potential use of these MAb-defined BrT-related nuclear proteins as markers for human breast cancer was suggested.

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