Antibodies anti-stratum corneum

Anti-stratum corneum antibodies fix to their specific antigens (see Figure 5.2) in varying ways. Sometimes they give intercellular fluorescence, sometimes cytoplasmic. 

Not only biochemical analysis, but immunohistochemical staining with antibodies against gangliosides has similarly revealed the existence and distribution of gangliosides in epidermis. Nakakuma et al. showed that epidermal keratinocytes reacted with an anti-GM3 monoclonal antibody, but not an anti-GD3 mAb.11 Expression of GM3, predominantly in the stratum corneum, was reported by Paller et al.12 In contrast, Hersey et al. detected GD2 in the basal and spinous layers of the epidermis, whereas neither GM3 nor GD3 was detected in normal skin.13 However, the epidermis adjacent to naevi and primary melanoma strongly expressed GD3.13... 

Paller, A.S., Siegel, J.N., Spalding, D.E., and Bremer, E.G., Absence of a stratum corneum antigen in disorders of epidermal cell proliferation detection with an anti-ganglioside GM3 antibody, J. Invest. Dermatol., 92, 240, 1989. 

A third series of experiments was done to check the eventual modifications of the intercellular substance (i.s.) in the Malpighian layer and stratum corneum. The antigenic substrate of five of the ichthyotic subjects was treated with serum with anti-i.s. antibodies (titre 1 320) taken from a pemphigus patient (see Figure 5.1). Each section was treated with two different dilutions of pemphigus serum (1 10 and 1 40) and with an anti-IgG conjugate (same characteristics as above). 

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