Hybridoma monoclonal antibodies to human fetal haemoglobin

Monoclonal antibodies against human fetal haemoglobin (HbF) were obtained by fusion of mouse myeloma cells with spleen lymphocytes from mice immunized against HbF from human umbilical cord blood erythrocytes. Initial antibody screening was by indirect immunofluorescence assays on smeared cord blood and normal adult blood erythrocytes. The specificity of these antibodies was further studied by combined immunoprecipitation assays and direct or inhibition solid-phase enzyme immunoassays. The combined pattern enabled recognition of three types of antigenic determinants: (i) common to both HbF and HbA, by both immunofluorescence and enzyme immunoassays; (ii) common to both HbF and HbA by enzyme immunoassays, present on fixed cord blood erythrocytes and adult thalassaemic erythrocytes by immunofluorescence, but not found on fixed normal adult erythrocytes; and (iii) private HbF by both immunofluorescence and enzyme immunoassays.