title: Idiotypic network in myasthenia gravis demonstrated by human monoclonal B-cell lines.
abstract: Human monoclonal anti-receptor and anti-idiotypic antibodies were obtained from Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells of patients with myasthenia gravis. The majority of antibodies (85/117) were IgM, and all IgM antibodies had lambda light chains. A marked restriction to one recurrent idiotype was found, despite the additional presence of other idiotypes in the serum from all patients. The presence of idiotypes and anti-idiotypes in the same patient was verified by the demonstration of specific complex formation between an anti-receptor antibody and an anti-idiotypic antibody produced by two different clones. Studies of human monoclonal antibodies produced by lymphoblastoid cell lines provide important information about the B-cell repertoire in myasthenia gravis and demonstrate a basis for a functional antibody network in this disease.
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000032:analysis; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000276:immunology*; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic