Expression of new idiotypes following neonatal idiotypic suppression of a dominant clone.
The anti-PC antibodies of BALB/c origin bear predominantly the idiotype characteristic of the phosphorylcholine (PC)-binding T15 idiotype than sera from adult mice, and, unlike the latter, they also contain detectable amounts of anti-T15 antibodies. By 2 weeks of age the anti-T15 antibodies are no longer detectable while the T15 idiotype has reached adult levels. Injection of neonatal mice with anti-idiotypic antibodies renders them unresponsive to PC until the 15th week of life. Furthermore, this treatment induces a chronic suppression of the T15 idiotype, since on recovery from unresponsiveness, the neonatally suppressed mice produce anti-PC antibodies which are predominantly T15-negative. In contrast, treatment of adult mice with anti-idiotypic antibodies induces only a transient state of unresponsiveness to PC, and the antibodies produced upon recovery bear the T15 idiotype. These findings are discussed in the context of idiotype anti-idiotype interactions and their possible role in immuno-regulation.
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000276:immunology*; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000937:Antigen-Antibody Reactions; D002794:Choline / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D000939:Epitopes; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009194:Myeloma Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology*
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000939:Epitopes; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D009194:Myeloma Proteins; D010767:Phosphorylcholine; D002794:Choline