Human monoclonal antibodies to thyroid antigens derived by hybridization of lymphocytes from a diabetic patient

Human monoclonal antibodies to human endocrine cells have been obtained following the generation of immunoglobulin-secreting interspecies lymphocyte hybridomas. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from an adult patient presenting with acute onset, Type I, diabetes mellitus were fused in vitro with mouse myeloma cells of the NS1 cell line. Initial selection of resulting hybridomas was made by their ability to proliferate in HAT medium. Those hybridomas secreting human immunoglobulins were identified by radioimmunoassay and, thereafter, cloned at frequent intervals to ensure continued antibody production. Human monoclonal antibodies selected in this manner are being employed to identify those epitopes which are common antigenic targets during initial stages of autoimmune-mediated diabetes mellitus and associated multiple endocrinopathies. Of these antibodies, one (HML 3.22) recognizes an epitope present on the human TSH receptor and a second (HML 3.21) identifies a component of thyroglobulin. The potential value of human monoclonal antibodies as probes for analyzing autoimmune-mediated endocrine diseases is discussed.