Anti-idiotypic B-cell lines from a patient with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance.

The B-cell repertoire in a patient with benign monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance was studied using Epstein-Barr virus transformation of peripheral lymphocytes. The presence of anti-idiotypic B cells producing monoclonal antibodies that reacted with idiotypic determinants on the monoclonal immunoglobulin was verified. The two monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies studied were of the IgM-kappa type. Such anti-idiotypic antibodies may be part of an idiotypic network regulation of the monoclonal B-cell population.