Antibody production of a human EBV-transformed B cell line and its heterohybridoma and trioma cell line descendants in different culture systems.

Cells of an EBV-transformed human lymphoblastoid B cell line, producing antibodies directed against tetanus toxin, were fused with mouse myeloma cells (SP2/0) and with mouse-human heteromyeloma cells (SPAM-8) resulting in the formation of heterohybridoma and trioma cells, respectively. Antibody production of the three cell lines were studied under different culture conditions. All three cell lines produced antibodies in concentrations ranging from 2.6 to 6.4 micrograms ml-1 in spent medium from stationary flask cultures. Dialysis cultures of trioma and heterohybridoma cells resulted in concentrations of 36 and 20 micrograms ml-1, respectively, whereas no significant increase was obtained with the EBV-transformed cells. Trioma cells, cultured in a hollow fiber cartridge bioreactor produced antibodies in concentrations of average of 303 micrograms ml-1, whereas the EBV-transformed cells did not adapt to this system. Furthermore, trioma and heterohybridoma cells injected into the intraperitoneal cavity of SCID-mice, produced antibodies in ascites fluid in concentrations of 500 and 640 micrograms ml-1 respectively.