title: Isolation and EBV-transformation of a minor population of normal human tonsillar B cells bearing a cold agglutinin-associated idiotope.
abstract: Human autoantibodies which bind to red blood cells and cause agglutination in the cold, collectively comprise the cold agglutinins: a subset of these antibodies with specificity for the Ii carbohydrate antigen on the red cell surface bears cross-reacting idiotypic determinants. A monoclonal antibody has been raised which specifically inhibits the cold agglutination reaction, and has been used to probe normal lymphoid cell populations for the presence of B cells expressing the same idiotope. Although such cells comprise only 1-2% of the lymphoid cells in the tonsil, it has been possible to isolate them in good yield and purity using the antibody and magnetic beads. Released cells were infected with the Epstein-Barr (EB) virus and an idiotope-bearing line established. The IgM secreted by the line was found to agglutinate red cells in the cold indicating that cold agglutinin-producing cells were among this idiotope-positive population. The immunophenotype of the line, and the agglutinating power of the secreted IgM, have been compared with a similarly immortalized idiotope-bearing line established from neoplastic B cells of a patient with frank cold agglutination disease.
authors.affiliation: Lymphoma Research Unit, General Hospital, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Spellerberg
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: North
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Hamblin
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Stevenson
mesh_terms: D000373:Agglutinins / Q000276:immunology*; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D016175:B-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D015322:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human; D006801:Humans; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000373:Agglutinins; D015703:Antigens, CD; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; C029443:cold agglutinins