IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF A NEW HUMAN DNA REACTIVE MONOCLONAL-ANTIBODY AND A COMMON IDIOTYPE, WRI-176 ID-BETA

We describe a human monoclonal antibody designated WRI 176 beta and a common idiotype that it carries. This antibody was derived from the spleen of a patient with SLE. WRI 176 is an IgM kappa monoclonal reacting with ssDNA, dsDNA, poly(dT) and it is likely that mAb WRI 176 beta is a representative of the so-called natural autoantibodies. The common Id designated WRI 176 Id beta is located on the heavy chain of the mAb WRI 176 beta molecule and appears to be located outside the binding site. Sequence analysis of the WRI 176 beta heavy chain showed it to be highly homologous (97.3%) with a germline gene 56PI derived from a human fetus. In a retrospective analysis, although 44% of SLE patients had raised levels of the WRI 176 beta no correlation was found with the activity of the disease. The idiotype was also expressed frequently in a range of autoimmune rheumatic and infectious diseases and in some healthy first-degree relatives of SLE patients.