Description
It is a cocktail of four highly specific monoclonal antibodies (EGP40/826, EGP40/837, EGP40/1110, EGP40/1120) that recognize extracellular as well as intracellular domains of the epithelial cellular adhesion molecule (Ep-CAM). It is a 40-43kDa transmembrane epithelial glycoprotein, identified as epithelial specific antigen (ESA), or Ep-CAM. Ep-CAM is expressed on baso-lateral cell surface in most simple epithelia and a vast majority of carcinomas. This epithelial antigen plays an important role as a tumor-cell marker in lymph nodes from patients with esophageal carcinoma otherwise classified as node-negative. Epithelial antigen has also been suggested as a discriminator between basal cell and baso-squamous carcinomas, and squamous cell carcinoma of the skin