Human anti-cytomegalovirus (CMV) immunoglobulins secreted by EBV-transformed B-lymphocytes cell lines.

The in vitro production of human immunoglobulins against cytomegalovirus may have clinical potentials. The attempts to produce human monoclonal antibodies by somatic cell hybridization have been unsuccessful so far. Another approach is to establish B-lymphoblastoid cell lines secreting specific antibodies. Usually such cell lines have been initiated after enrichment of antibody producing B-cells before immortalization by Epstein-Barr virus. We investigated the possibility of establishing lines secreting antibodies neutralizing human cytomegalovirus infectivity by selecting leucocyte donors who have undergone clinical disease which resulted in natural enrichment of antibody producing cells. Two cell lines were established from a patient with a severe post-transfusional CMV syndrome and one cell line from a patient who has continuously shed CMV since renal transplantation 10 years ago. The characterization of the specific immunoglobulin production of these lines will be presented.