Human-human hybridomas and human monoclonal antibodies obtained by fusion of lymph node lymphocytes from breast cancer patients.

Lymphocytes from lymph nodes obtained from breast cancer patients undergoing mastectomy were fused with the 0467.3, UC729HF2, or KR-12 human cell lines, totaling 42 fusions with lymphocytes from 23 patients. A total of 1696 human-human hybridomas were generated, 675 (39.8%) of which produced human IgG and/or IgM. Seventy-three human hybridomas produced antibodies binding to autologous malignant breast tissue and/or MCF-7 cells, as assayed by immunohistology or by cell-binding enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Twelve of these hybridomas, all reacting with malignant breast tissue, were subcloned to stabilize the production of human immunoglobulin. The reaction patterns of these 12 human monoclonal antibodies were investigated further by immunohistology on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. The reaction patterns of the various antibodies showed substantial variation and the antibodies reacted with a varying frequency with antigens expressed by different malignant breast tumors. One of these antibodies, MAC 40/43 (IgM), reacted with malignant breast and colon carcinomas and other epithelial derived neoplasms but did not react with normal breast tissue or with other normal and malignant tissues tested, except for a weak reaction with certain normal epithelial tissues. The antigen defined by MAC 40/43 was identified as a Mr approximately equal to 47,000 glycoprotein.