Expression of crossreactive idiotypes by human antibodies specific for the capsular polysaccharide of Hemophilus influenzae B.
Human antibodies specific, for polyribosyl-ribitol-phosphate (PRP), the capsular polysaccharide of Hemophilus influenzae b, were studied using idiotypic analysis. Antisera were prepared against purified F(ab')2 anti-PRP from two unrelated adults, H.H. and P.T. After repeated absorption with IgG myeloma proteins and with PRP-absorbed normal human Ig and donor Ig, anti-idiotypic (anti-Id) sera were obtained that specifically reacted with anti-PRP antibodies. Anti-IdHH and anti-IdPT reciprocally crossreacted with H.H. and P.T. anti-PRP antibodies and F(ab')2 fragments, and also reacted with the serum anti-PRP antibodies from three additional adults unrelated to P.T. and H.H. Both anti-Id sera partially inhibited anti-PRP paratopes but not anti-tetanus toxoid paratopes. PRP did not inhibit anti-Id recognition of shared or crossreactive idiotypic (CRI) determinants. Naturally occurring and PRP immunization-induced anti-PRP antibodies expressed CRI. While CRI titer increased after immunization, the increase was usually less than the rise in total anti-PRP antibody. Quantitative differences in CRI expression were also apparent between natural and immunization-induced H.H. and P.T. anti-PRP antibodies as shown by their differential inhibitability by anti-Id. Our data demonstrate that anti-PRP antibodies from five unrelated adults express CRI determinants that are probably distant from the PRP combining site. Naturally occurring and immunization-induced anti-PRP antibodies share CRI and therefore appear to be clonally related, although immunization apparently induces the expression CRI-negative antibodies as well. These results, taken with previous studies showing restricted and identical anti-PRP isoelectric focusing spectrotypes in unrelated adults, suggest that some PRP-specific V domains are structurally conserved and probably germ-line encoded.
Lucas
A H
AH
Department of Pediatrics, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000276:immunology*; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region / Q000235:genetics; D010428:Pentosephosphates / Q000276:immunology; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*
D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D007135:Immunoglobulin Variable Region; D010428:Pentosephosphates; D011134:Polysaccharides; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; C003191:polyribose phosphate; C008984:polyribitol phosphate