Evidence for the occurrence of human erythrocyte membrane sialoglycoproteins in human kidney endothelial cells.

Several mouse monoclonal antibodies recognising different epitopes on human erythrocyte sialoglycoproteins alpha and beta (syn: glycophorins A and C, respectively) react with human renal endothelium. Those monoclonal anti-blood group M and anti-blood group N antibodies which recognised the M/N epitopes on sialidase-treated human erythrocytes also reacted with human renal endothelium whilst those which recognise the M/N epitopes on native, but not on sialidase-treated human erythrocytes were not reactive with human renal endothelium. These results provide evidence for the occurrence of alpha and beta molecules in renal endothelium and suggest that alpha in renal endothelium is incompletely sialylated.