Monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies against lymphoma-associated cold agglutinins.

Hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies against purified cold agglutinins (CA) from lymphoma patients were screened by a cold hemagglutination inhibition test. Supernatants from positive clones were further tested against several purified CA and paraproteins of different immunoglobulin (Ig) classes. It was shown that most monoclonal antibodies raised by immunization with CA had reactivity against the constant region of IgM. However, clone H-1 produced an anti-idiotypic antibody that reacted exclusively with the CA used for immunization. Using this anti-idiotype antibody, the idiotype could be demonstrated on 25% of the patient's peripheral mononuclear cells. So far, the idiotype could not be demonstrated on the patient's T-cells. Monoclonal antibodies against lymphoma idiotypes are powerful tools for studying the immunobiology of these malignancies and may be useful as specific therapeutic reagents.