Increased antigen binding strengths of hybrid antibodies produced by human hybrid hybridomas

Two cell lines of human hybridomas were fused to generate hybrid antibodies. One human hybridoma cell line was HT2 producing IgM monoclonal antibody (MAb) reactive to carboxy peptidase A (Cpase) and double stranded DNA (ds DNA) and another was SU-1-D2 secreting IgM MAb reactive to ds DNA but not to Cpase. Most hybrid hybridomas obtained by fusion of the two hybridomas secreted hybrid antibodies exhibiting increased antigen binding strengths. All of the hybrid antibodies with increased binding strengths against Cpase and ds DNA contained only the light chains derived from SU-1-D2. These results suggested that increase in the binding strength of the hybrid antibodies resulted from heterogeneous association of H and L chains derived from HT2 and SU-1-D2 cells.