Hybridoma antibody to breast cancer immune complexes

Hybridoma clones were established by fusing spleen cells from mice immunized with purified breast cancer-related immune complexes to drug-resistant nonproducing myelomas. Hybridoma cultures were evaluated for antibody production using immunofluorescence, radioimmunoassay and immunoperoxidase techniques. One antibody demonstrated strong reactivity against breast tumor cells (BT-20) in culture and also was found to bind ductal epithelial cells within sections of human mammary tissue. Antigen was detected within the soluble fraction of breast tumors with molecular weight greater than 500 K. The possible relationship between antigen detected in breast tumor cells and in immune-complexed form is discussed.