Genetic identification of antigens exposed in damaged endothelial cells as laminin‐binding proteins

A monoclonal antibody, D5G2, which reacts in a balloon angioplasty damage model with unfixed damaged but not with unfixed undamaged human endothelial cells, was used to screen a human endothelial cDNA library in an Escherichia coli/λ gt11 expression system. Sequences of DNA inserts in D5G2+ phage clones matched those reported for a laminin‐binding protein, LBP‐32. Both D5G2 and purified laminin bound to a polypeptide of 55 kD on PVDF membranes carrying electrophoretically separated endothelial cell lysates, D5G2 also bound to recombinant LBP expressed in E. coli, and showed similar staining patterns on human and bovine endothelial cells to another characterized anti‐LBP antibody. Increased staining of unfixed endothelial cells on detergent permeabilization suggests that D5G2 binds to intracellular laminin‐binding protein made accessible by cell membrane injury. Antibodies to intracellular targets exposed by cell damage may be useful in anchoring therapeutic agents at sites of vascular damage.