Shared idiotypes expressed by human B-cell lymphomas.

Each B-cell lymphoma expresses a surface immunoglobulin that contains unique antigenic determinants (idiotypes). We have produced 199 murine monoclonal antibodies reactive with the idiotypes isolated from 67 patients with follicular small-cleaved-cell lymphoma. These antiidiotype antibodies were analyzed for their ability to react with lymphoma cells from patients other than the one against which each antibody was made. Twenty of the 199 antiidiotype antibodies were reactive with lymphoma cells from more than one patient. Depending on the antibody, the frequency of idiotype sharing ranged from 0.6 to 6.2 percent of B-cell lymphoma tumors evaluated. Tumors could be grouped into distinct families on the basis of their reactivity with these antibodies. In the aggregate, the 20 antibodies reacted with a total of 49 of 150 B-cell lymphomas (33 percent), including 30 of 110 follicular small-cleaved-cell lymphomas (27 percent). Many of these shared idiotypes were expressed by more than one histopathological subtype of lymphoma. We conclude that a panel of antibodies reactive with shared idiotypes can be produced for patients with B-cell lymphoma, obviating the need to produce an antiidiotype antibody for each patient.