Monoclonal antibodies to human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D and use thereof

A method for screening adenocarcinoma in a patient suspected of suffering from respiratory disease, which comprises the steps of:

• obtaining a lung tissue sample from the patient to prepare a lung tissue specimen;
• contacting the thus prepared lung tissue specimen with a monoclonal antibody or fragment thereof which specifically binds to human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D;
• detecting the presence or absence of human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D in the sample by detecting the presence or absence of an immune complex formed between the antibody or fragment and human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D in the specimen;
• and
• comparing the presence of absence of immune complex in the lung tissue specimen with a control tissue specimen so as to assess the presence or absence of adenocarcinoma in the patient,
• wherein the monoclonal antibody or fragment has the following additional characteristics:
• (1) specificity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment does not substantially react with other human antigenic substances but specifically reacts only with human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D;
• (2) reactivity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment reacts with human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D in a concentration-dependent manner;
• (3) cross-reactivity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment does not substantially react with human pulmonary surfactant apoproteins A, B and C;
• and
• (4) species specificity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment does not substantially react with rat pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D.

A method for screening squamous cell carcinoma in a patient suspected of suffering from respiratory disease, which comprises the steps of:

• obtaining a lung tissue sample from the patient to prepare a lung tissue specimen;
• contacting the thus prepared lung tissue specimen with a monoclonal antibody or fragment thereof which specifically binds to human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D;
• detecting the presence or absence of human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D in the sample by detecting the presence or absence of an immune complex formed between the antibody or fragment and human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D in the specimen;
• and
• comparing the presence or absence of immune complex in the lung tissue specimen with a control tissue specimen so as to assess the presence or absence of squamous cell carcinoma in the patient,
• wherein the monoclonal antibody or fragment thereof has the following additional characteristics:
• (1) specificity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment does not substantially react with other human antigenic substances but specifically reacts only with human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D;
• (2) reactivity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment reacts with human pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D in a concentration-dependent manner;
• (3) cross-reactivity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment does not substantially react with human pulmonary surfactant apoproteins A, B and C;
• and
• (4) species specificity:
• the monoclonal antibody or fragment does not substantially react with rat pulmonary surfactant apoprotein D.