Mouse monoclonal antibodies specific for M and N blood group-related antigens.

Eleven examples of mouse monoclonal antibodies were produced with specificities related to human blood group MN antigens. The eleven monoclonal antibodies, comprising eight which react with M antigen and three with N antigen, react in direct hemagglutination system, and their specificities were investigated by their reaction with panel and enzyme-modified red cells. The antibodies were used, in parallel with conventional polyclonal anti-M and anti-N sera, to type a series of random blood donors. The results obtained with the monoclonal antibodies and the polyclonal reagents were in perfect agreement. The monoclonal anti-M and anti-N antibodies could prove to be valuable alternatives to conventional reagents used currently for MN-blood grouping.