Preparation and characterization of monoclonal antithyrotropin receptor antibodies obtained from peripheral lymphocytes of hypothyroid patients with primary myxedema.
Anti-TSH receptor antibodies (TSH-R Ab), which have been detected in the serum of some patients with primary myxedema, are themselves considered to induce hypothyroidism. These are termed blocking-type TSH-R Ab (TSH-R BAb), because they inhibit adenylate cyclase stimulation by TSH on thyrocytes or nonthyroidal cells transfected with TSH-R complementary DNA. We prepared monoclonal TSH-R BAb and characterized them. Peripheral lymphocytes from three patients with primary hypothyroidism and potent TSH-R BAb were transformed by Epstein-Barr virus, and the culture supernatants were screened by TSH binding inhibitor immunoglobulin (TBII) assay. Twenty positive and 7 negative lymphocyte clones were obtained; their monoclonality was confirmed by Southern blot analysis, using an immunoglobulin (Ig) JH probe. These monoclonal antibodies were then tested for TSH-R BAb activity. TSH-R BAb activity ranged from 24.1-58.5% (normal range, < 24%) in all 20 TBII-positive clones and in 2 of 7 TBII-negative clones. An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay showed that the Ig isotypes of these clones with TBII and/or TSH-R BAb activity were IgG in 8 and IgM in 14. Another enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and Southern blot analysis of the light chains revealed that 13 clones had kappa-chains, whereas the light chains could not be determined in the other 9 clones. To summarize, 1) we obtained 22 clones that produced monoclonal TSH-R BAb, including 8 IgG-type clones. 2) The clones exhibited dominant usage of the kappa-chain. 3) Although all TBII clones had TSH-R BAb activity, their TBII and TSH-R BAb activities were not significantly correlated, and two TSH-R BAb clones did not show TBII activity.
Okuda
J
J
Department of Laboratory Medicine Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University, Japan.
Akamizu
T
T
Sugawa
H
H
Matsuda
F
F
Hua
L
L
Mori
T
T
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D016466:CHO Cells; D002999:Clone Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D015326:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Heavy Chain; D015328:Gene Rearrangement, B-Lymphocyte, Light Chain; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000276:immunology*; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000097:blood; D009230:Myxedema / Q000276:immunology*; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014162:Transfection
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D004247:DNA