Stains & CD markers
General
Copyright: 2002-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: CD markers[TI]
General
Author: Nat Pernick, M.D.
Last author update: 1 July 2013
Last staff update: 24 June 2021
Copyright: 2002-2023, PathologyOutlines.com, Inc.
PubMed Search: CD markers[TI]
Cite this page: Pernick N. CD Markers - General. PathologyOutlines.com website. https://www.pathologyoutlines.com/topic/cdmarkersgeneral.html. Accessed September 26th, 2023.
Definition / general
- CD: cluster designation or cluster of differentiation; a protocol to identify and investigate cell surface molecules
- Nomenclature proposed in 1982 at First International Workshop and Conference on Human Leukocyte Differentiation Antigens (HLDA)
- A classification system for monoclonal antibodies generated by laboratories worldwide against cell surface molecules, initially on leukocytes, but now also from other cell types
- Data is collated and analyzed by cluster analysis based on pattern of binding to leukocytes or other cell types
- Must be at least two monoclonal antibodies for each antigen
- "w" indicates that the CD is not well characterized or is represented by only one monoclonal antibody
- Current CD markers range from CD1 to CD371
- Interpretation should be based on cellular distribution of staining (i.e. membranous, cytoplasmic, nuclear), proportion of positively stained cells, staining intensity and cutoff levels
Physiology
- CD molecules have various functions, including receptors or ligands; also cell adhesion, antigen presentation
- Although commonly used by pathologists to characterize cells, they most likely also have an important (although sometimes unknown) function in cell physiology
Uses by pathologists
- Used in immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry to characterize unknown cell types or to better understand known cell types
Additional references
- Lists of CD markers: UniProt - Swiss-Prot Protein Knowledgebase, HCDM website
- Information on each HLDA workshop:
- First workshop: Presse Med 1984;13:2311, Bernard: Leucocyte Typing: Human Leucocyte Differentiation Antigens Detected by Monoclonal Antibodies (Springer 1984)
- Second workshop: Reinherz: Leukocyte Typing II (Springer 1985)
- Third workshop: Leukemia 1987;1:231, McMichael: Leukocyte Typing III (Oxford University Press 1987)
- Fourth workshop: Blood 1989;74:1448, Am J Pathol 1989;135:420, Knapp: Leukocyte Typing IV (Oxford University Press 1990)
- Fifth workshop: J Immunol 1994;152:1, Schlossman: Leukocyte Typing V (Oxford University Press 1995)
- Sixth workshop: Bull World Health Organ 1997;75:385, Kishimoto: Leukocyte Typing VI (Oxford University Press 1998)
- Seventh workshop: J Immunol Methods 2003;275:1, Tissue Antigens 2001;58:425, J Leukoc Biol 2001;70:685, Mason: Leukocyte Typing VII (Oxford University Press 2002)
- Eighth workshop: Blood 2005;106:3123
- Ninth workshop: Immunol Lett 2011;134:104
- Tenth workshop: Clin Transl Immunology 2015;4:e47
