Induction of rheumatoid antibodies in the mouse. Regulated production of autoantibody in the secondary humoral response.
A/J mice were found to produce autoreactive IgM anti-IgG1 in response to secondary immunization with a number of protein antigens. No anti-IgG1 was produced after a single such immunization, indicating that antigen: IgG1 antibody complexes were responsible for inducing the autoreactive response. The size of the anti-IgG1 response was in some cases massive and of the same order of magnitude as the response to the foreign immunizing material. No significant anti-IgG2a, anti-IgG2b, or anti-IgG3 response was found in mice producing anti-IgG1. Virtually all of the anti-IgG1 material produced was of the IgM class and bound to the Fc region of autologous IgG1. A component of the anti-IgG1 was shown to be able to distinguish between the two mouse IgG1 allotypes. These results suggest that self-reactive anti-IgG is a common component of the secondary immune response of mice that may have powerful physiological and immunoregulatory effects.
D000818:Animals; D000918:Antibody Specificity; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D006241:Haptens / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D007117:Immunization, Secondary; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes / Q000032:analysis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D008805:Mice, Inbred A; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D006241:Haptens; D007126:Immunoglobulin Allotypes; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor