[The isolation of monoclonal antibodies to strains of Mycobacterium leprae passed through laboratory animals].

Hybridoma synthetizing monoclonal antibodies (mAB) IIIE4 has been obtained in hybridization of myeloma P3-X63-Ag8. 653 cells and splenocytes from BALB/c mice immunized with M. leprae passaged on rats. The mAB specificity evaluated by enzyme immunoassay using ultrasonic disintegrates of M. leprae obtained from human, Dasypus novemcinctus, rat lepromas as well as mycobacteria of 7 species and E. coli indicated that the mAB reacted only with mycobacteria passaged on the rats. They had weak cross reactivity with M. avium.