Human monoclonal antibodies to human cytomegalovirus derived from peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy adults.

Immunoglobulin G class human monoclonal antibodies to human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) were produced by the fusion of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells and a murine myeloma cell line. The B cells were derived from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy adult volunteers. Four hybridomas producing HCMV-specific monoclonal antibodies were established and each of four antibodies immunoprecipitated an HCMV-specific protein with a molecular weight of 68 kDa. However, the antibodies differed in some of their properties as characterized by indirect immunofluorescence assay and immunoblotting studies, due to the detection of different epitopes on the reacting antigen. None of the four antibodies had any virus neutralizing activity.