Production of human monoclonal antibody to rhesus D antigen.

Peripheral-blood mononuclear cells from an individual known to produce antibody to the rhesus D blood group were enriched for specific antibody-producing cells before transformation with Epstein-Barr virus. An anti-rhesus-D antibody-producing cell line (UCH D4) was obtained and cloned. Culture supernatants contained about 20 micrograms/ml of rhesus-D-specific IgG-class antibody. The antibody reactivity compared well with that of reagents used routinely for rhesus blood-grouping.