Four cytotoxic human-human hybridoma antibodies that react with HLA-B27

PBMC were isolated from a multiparous woman with HLA-B27 specific Abs in her serum. The HLA type of the donor was A2,9:B7. The PBMC were EBV transformed, and four cell lines making cytotoxic Abs to HLA-B27+ cells prepared. Hybridomas were constructed by fusing the EBV lines with the human fusion partner KR4. All four mAbs were of IgM isotype. One mAb (TrBH12) reacted specifically with B27+, B37+ and Bw47+ lymphoblastoid cell lines and with all B27+ PBMC except for a rare variant so far found only in one Norwegian family. Another mAb (Tr3B6) was cytotoxic for all B27+ cells tested, including the TrBH12- variant; in addition, it showed weaker cross-reactions to Bw42, B49 and a cell line with the probable phenotype B7,38. Supernatant from the Tr3B6 hybridoma was tested in lymphocytotoxicity against a panel of 658 individuals, 141 of whom were B27+. With this panel, Tr3B6 showed perfect correlation with HLA-B27. The two last mAbs (TrCG10 and TrBF1) reacted with all B27+ cells tested, but in addition showed quite extensive cross-reactions.