title: Detection of cross-reactive idiotypes in the serum of patients with bullous pemphigoid.
abstract: To further characterize the circulating antibasement membrane zone (antiBMZ) antibodies present in the sera of patients with bullous pemphigoid (BP), we have generated a mouse monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibody (antiId 3-17) specific for an IgG antiBMZ antibody. AntiId 3-17 is specific for an idiotype expressed on antiBMZ IgG in the serum of a patient with BP, and not expressed on pooled normal human IgG or IgG from patients with other autoimmune skin diseases. AntiId 3-17 binds to non-reduced, but not reduced, antiBMZ IgG on immunoblot, suggesting that the idiotype is composed of a conformational epitope expressed on native antibody. By a competitive inhibition ELISA, antiId 3-17 detects a cross-reactive idiotype (CRI) expressed in 18 of 50 (36%) of the sera of patients with BP, but in the sera of only 1 of 50 (2%) normal blood bank controls (p less than 0.001, Fisher's exact test) and 1 of 12 (8%) patients with pemphigus (p = 0.005). Thus, antiId 3-17 recognizes a public idiotype on a native antiBMZ antibody from a patient with BP, which is expressed in the sera of 36% of the unrelated patients with BP studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 27713.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Rico
authors.forename: L D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bartow
authors.forename: R P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Hall
mesh_terms: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000276:immunology; D002846:Chromatography, Affinity / Q000379:methods; D003429:Cross Reactions; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D010391:Pemphigoid, Bullous / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes