Abstract
We recently reported that the rat mast cell proteinase inhibitor trypstatin is genetically identical with the second half of inter-α-trypsin inhibitor light chain (ITI-LC), also known as bikunin or urinary trypsin inhibitor (UTI). In this study, therefore, immunoreactivities of mast cells of various human tissues were examined with three antibodies, anti-human ITI-LC, anti-ITI, which recognizes mainly heavy chains or the sugar moiety of ITI, and anti-α 1-microglobulin (α1mG). ITI-LC immunoreactivity was strongly found in mast cells in the connective tissues of various organs except for those of the propria mucosae of small intestine. Neither anti-ITI antibody nor anti-α1mG antibody reacted with mast cells in various tissues. By reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis, α1mG/ITI-LC mRNA was not detected in the skin and tongue, and only weakly in small intestine, although ITI-LC immunoreactivity was strongly detected in these tissues. Furthermore, the mRNA was not expressed in cultured human mast cells. These results suggest that ITI-LC protein is stored in the granules of human connective tissue mast cells, though is not produced by them.
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Received: 14 September 1998 / Accepted: 15 February 1999
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Ide, H., Itoh, H., Yoshida, E. et al. Immunohistochemical demonstration of inter-α-trypsin inhibitor light chain (bikunin) in human mast cells. Cell Tissue Res 297, 149–154 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051342
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051342