Recognition of HLA-B27 and related antigen by a monoclonal antibody.

A monoclonal antibody that binds specifically to HLA-B27, B7, and B22 is described. Binding to B27 appeared to be slightly stronger than to B7 and stronger than to B22 in an indirect binding assay, but no difference in B7 and B27 binding could be detected by Scatchard analysis. No distinction could be made between B27 on cells from normal and from ankylosing spondylitis patients in any assay system. The antibody, which was not cytotoxic, blocked complement-dependent cytolysis mediated by human HLA typing sera specific for B7 and B27. Competitive binding studies with other monoclonal antibodies showed that ME1 could block the binding of antibodies that recognized different antigenic sites on HLA. ME1 did not bind to Klebsiella pneumoniae. This reagent will be useful in further analysis of the relationship between B27 and ankylosing spondylitis.