title: Human monoclonal antibodies against Mycobacterium leprae.
abstract: Human hybridomas were constructed which produce antibodies against three different extracts of Mycobacterium leprae. A thioguanine-resistant (Thgr), ouabain-resistant (Ouar), human lymphoblastoid cell line, KR-4, was hybridized with Epstein-Barr virus-transformed cell lines from lepromatous leprosy patients with fusion frequencies of greater than 10(-5). Non-Epstein-Barr virus-transformed donor cells fused at much lower rates (less than 2 X 10(-7]. Hybrids were selected in medium containing hypoxanthine aminopterin thymidine and 10(-5) M ouabain. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to screen for antibodies against three crude extracts of armadillo-derived M. leprae, including (i) a soluble sonic extract preparation, (ii) sodium dodecyl sulfate extract of insoluble sonicated M. leprae, and (iii) a purified phenolic glycolipid antigen. Of a total of 2,200 final clones screened, 359 were found to secrete antibody which bound to soluble sonic extracts and the sodium dodecyl sulfate extract (6.7 and 9.6%, respectively), whereas 12.5% (21 out of 168) showed positivity to the glycolipid antigen. Four selected hybridomas also reacted with the deacylated derivative of M. leprae phenolic-glycolipid antigen. The specificity of these monoclonal antibodies was partially determined by screening on a panel of crude extracts from four other mycobacteria. Nine clones of 122 showed reactivity to M. leprae only. The predominant immunoglobulin was immunoglobulin M, and quantities up to 10 micrograms/ml were produced. Antibody production by hybrid clones was stable in more than 75% of the clones grown in continuous culture. By comparison, 10,000 Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphocyte clones from lepromatous leprosy patients were screened for anti-M. leprae antibody production, and all of the 42 clones that were initially positive in the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay lost their antibody-producing capabilities within 6 weeks in culture. These results suggest that a combination of Epstein-Barr virus transformation and hybridization may be an optimal method in producing human monoclonal antibodies from leprosy patients.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Atlaw
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kozbor
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Roder
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006825:Hybridomas; D007918:Leprosy / Q000276:immunology; D008055:Lipids / Q000276:immunology; D009166:Mycobacterium leprae / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D008055:Lipids