Monoclonal antibodies against plasma protease inhibitors: production and characterization of 15 monoclonal antibodies against human antithrombin III. Relation between antigenic determinants and functional sites of antithrombin III

Fifteen hybridomas secreting monoclonal antibodies against human antithrombin III, originating from two mouse strains, have been produced by the cell fusion technique. Eight monoclonal antibodies belong to the class IgG1, five to the class IgG2a, and two to the class IgG2b. All light chains belong to the kappa group. No cross-reaction of the monoclonal antibodies have been observed with a crude preparation of albumin nor with alpha 1-antitrypsin and alpha 2-antiplasmin. Five of these monoclonal antibodies exhibit a relatively high avidity for antithrombin III. Inhibition experiments showed that the 15 monoclonal antibodies define seven more or less independent antigenic regions on the antithrombin III molecule. Examination of the effects of these antibodies on the inhibitory capacity of antithrombin III toward thrombin activity, either in the presence or in the absence of heparin, showed that several monoclonal antibodies inhibit the antithrombin III activity and allowed to relate some of the antigenic determinants to functional sites on the antithrombin III molecule.