title: Induction and characterization of "autologous" anti-isiotypic antibodies.
abstract: Upon immunization with phosphorylcholine (PC), conventional BALB/c mice produce anti-PC antibodies bearing predominantly the idiotype characteristic of the BALB/c PC-binding myeloma protein TEPC 15 (T15). To investigate whether BALB/c mice are able to produce antibodies to the autologous T15 idiotype, conventional (T15-positive) and neonatally suppressed (T15-negative) BALB/c mice were immunized with purcific for the T15 idiotype. However, anti-T15 antibodies were more readily induced in neonatally suppressed mice which in turn produced higher anti-T15 titers than conventional mice. Such "autologous" anti-T15 antibodies are able to (a) change the idiotypic pattern of the anti-PC response of conventional BALB/c mice in situ and, (b) inhibit the induction of an anti-PC response in vitro by spleen cells from T15-positive but not T15-negative BALB/mice. Thus, BALB/c mice are capable of producing anti-T15 antibodies upon immunization with an isologous myeloma protein which bears the autologous T15 isiotype. We suggest that isiotypes should not be strictly considered as "self-antigens" since the dramatic increase in their concentration, subsequent to antigen stimulation, might confer upon them immunogenic properties not shared by self-antigens.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009194:Myeloma Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D010767:Phosphorylcholine / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000941:Antigens; D000939:Epitopes; D009194:Myeloma Proteins; D010767:Phosphorylcholine