Monoclonal antibody associated with a lymphocyte subpopulation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

An IgG monoclonal antibody that detects a subpopulation of lymphocytes found in peripheral blood and bone marrow of patients with CLL and malignant lymphoma is described. The initial immunization used to achieve the resultant monoclonal antibody included the use of cells obtained by DNA transformation of mouse L-cells with the DNA obtained from a morphologically altered somatic cell hybrid between primary human CLL peripheral lymphocytes and a flat-revertant Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line designated GRC+L-73. Hybridomas were thus selected as potentially recognizing antigens associated with the morphological transformation induced by hybridization of CHO cells with lymphocytes from lymphocytic malignancies. One such hybridoma, designated 37-28, was selected for further investigation. The monoclonal antibody produced was IgG (gamma G2a) and detects a subpopulation of lymphocytes present in hematological specimens of some of the lymphocytic malignancies.