Establishment of hybridoma cell lines secreting anti-Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 monoclonal antibodies with immunodiagnostic potential.

Three independent hybridoma cell lines (F4/CB5/K18, F4/CB5/K104, F4/JD3.8/K101) producing monoclonal antibodies that reacted specifically against cell surface molecule(s) of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 have been established. These monoclonal antibodies belong to IgM class and are capable of agglutinating exquisitely serogroup 1 organisms. These hybridoma-derived monoclonal antibodies can be used for the preparation of standardized immunodiagnostic reagents for detection and rapid identification of Legionnaire's disease bacterium in clinical laboratories and will also enable purification and subsequent characterization of the serogroup 1 specific molecule(s) of L. pneumophila.