A Two-Photon Probe for TNF-α. Assessment of the Transmembrane TNF-α Level in Human Colon Tissue by Two-Photon Microscopy.

We developed Pyr1-infliximab: a two-photon probe for TNF-alpha. Pyr1-infliximab showed absorption maxima at 280 and 438 nm and an emission maximum at 610 nm in an aqueous buffer and effective two-photon action cross-section values of (520-2830) x 10(-50) cm(4)s/photon in RAW 264.7 cells. After this probe was labeled, it was possible to detect Pyr1-infliximab-transmembrane TNF-alpha complexes in a live cell and to determine the relative proportion of these complexes in human colon tissues. This proportion among healthy, possibly inflamed, and inflamed tissues of patients with ulcerative colitis was found to be 1.0/4.5/10. This probe may find useful applications for selective detection of transmembrane TNF-alpha in a live cell or tissue, for quantification of inflammation in human colon tissue or of antidrug antibodies in patients who stop responding to anti-TNF therapy, and for monitoring of the response to this therapy.