ABSTRACT
Murine monoclonal antibody production is now a popular technique used by many groups working on cell surface antigens. Monoclonal antibodies provide precise reagents for the isolation, analysis, and physiological role studies of these structures. The production of polymorphic monoclonal antibodies recognizing described HLA DR specificities would provide useful reagents for typing. The production of monoclonal antibodies against HLA-DR antigens raises many problems-these are either general production problems or those specific to the HLA-DR system. The choice of animal for immunization can be important. Different rat or mouse strains might vary in their capacity to respond to HLA-DR antigens, as well as their ability to distinguish polymorphic determinants. Purified membrane glycoprotein or highly purified Ia-like molecules could help in obtaining polymorphic monoclonal antibodies. Ia-like antigens are expressed on several precursors of blood cells. Monoclonal antibodies against HLA-DR antibodies enable the development of simple methods to enrich or deplete a cell population expressing Ia-like antigens.
