Human monoclonal antibodies to nuclear antigens

Human lymph node lymphocytes from cancer patients were fused with either the UC 729-6 or SHFP-1 human fusion partners. Resulting human-human hybridomas were tetraploid, expressed markers from both parent cells, and secreted approximately 1 microgram Ig/10(6) cells/ml/day. Immunofluorescence analysis of some of the human MAbs with a panel of normal and malignant cell lines revealed a staining pattern of only the nuclear region. One IgM secreting hybridoma, TLN1F4, derived from a teratocarcinoma lymph node, predominantly stained the nuclear regions of adherent tumor cell lines and no hematopoietic cell lines or normal fibroblasts. PLN3C8, an IgG1 secreting hybridoma, derived from a prostate carcinoma lymph node, predominantly stained the nucleolus of LnCap, a a carcinoma of the prostate cell line. CLN2E5, an IgM secreting human hybridoma, derived from a carcinoma of the cervix lymph node, predominantly stained both cytoplasmic and nuclear components to tumor cell lines and not normal fibroblasts or hematopoietic cell lines. These data suggest that the immune response occurring within regional draining lymph nodes is capable of recognizing nuclear-associated antigens.