Aim: To develop a monoclonal antibody against dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and miniaturize it, generating a single-chain antibody variable fragment (scFv) against DHEA as an adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) marker.
Material & methods: DHEA conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin was used as an immunogen to obtain anti-DHEA hybridomas. Variable fragments were cloned from hybridoma 5B7 total RNA, and used to detect DHEA in normal adrenal tissue and ACC cells.
Results: IgM monoclonal antibody was highly specific, and the recombinant scFv preserved parental antibody characteristics, allowing tissue localization of DHEA.
Conclusion: Undefined small lesions are challenges for clinicians and impact clinical adrenocortical tumor management. Generating an anti-DHEA scFv facilitates development of imaging tests for early diagnosis of pediatric ACC.
Keywords: DHEA; adrenal cortex; adrenocortical carcinoma; dehydroepiandrosterone; monoclonal antibody; scFv; tumor marker; zona reticularis.