Virus-induced autoimmunity: monoclonal antibodies that react with endocrine tissues.

Mice infected with reovirus type 1 develop an autoimmune polyendocrine disease. Spleen cells from these mice were fused with myeloma cells and the culture fluids were screened by indirect immunofluorescence for autoantibodies reactive with normal mouse tissues. A large panel of cloned, stable antibody-producing hybridomas has been obtained. Fourteen of the hybridomas make autoantibodies that react with cells in the islets of Langerhans, 24 with cells in the anterior pituitary, 11 with cells in gastric mucosa, and 5 with nuclei. Except for the antibodies to nuclei, the monoclonal autoantibodies are organ-specific. Some, however, show broad cross-species reactivity, recognizing similar antigenic determinants in mouse, rat, pig, and human organs, whereas other recognize determinants only in rodent tissues. Several of the antigens recognized by these monoclonal autoantibodies have been identified as hormones (for example, glucagon, growth hormone, and insulin).