title: Inhibition of immune responses against rabies virus by monoclonal antibodies directed against rabies virus antigens.
abstract: Treatment of mice with a cocktail of murine anti-rabies monoclonal antibodies (mAb-C) interfered with the ability of these animals to mount a virus-neutralizing antibody response to rabies vaccine. Administered mAb-C did not affect the induction of rabies virus-specific T-helper cells. The magnitude of the inhibition of rabies virus-specific B-cell response was dependent on the concentration of the mAb-C and the duration of the mAb-mediated interference was inversely proportional to the biological half-life of the mAb. As long as the serum titres were above a critical threshold, the suppression could not be overcome even by multiple vaccinations. Since injection of mice with immunocomplexes consisting of inactivated rabies virus and mAb rendered the animals non-responsive to a subsequent vaccination with inactivated rabies virus, it is concluded that the mAb-induced suppression might be caused by the formation of antigen-antibody complexes which exert a negative signalling effect to premature B cells.
authors.affiliation: Wistar Institute of Anatomy and Biology, Philadelphia, PA 19104.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Schumacher
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Ertl
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Koprowski
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dietzschold
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D005260:Female; D007110:Immunity, Active; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007273:Injections, Intramuscular; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D009500:Neutralization Tests; D011819:Rabies Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology; D011820:Rabies virus / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D011819:Rabies Vaccines