Lack of inter-animal cross-reaction of anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies at the receptor-binding site as demonstrated by heterologous anti-idiotype antisera: implications for immunotherapy of myasthenia gravis.
Anti-idiotype antisera were raised in rabbits by immunization with purified sheep anti-Torpedo receptor antibodies. The antisera were able specifically to block the binding of receptor to the inducing antibodies but not anti-Torpedo antibodies from other animals of the same, or other, species. Rabbits producing the anti-idiotype sera were not protected from experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). The implications of these observations for the potential use of anti-idiotype antisera in the treatment of myasthenia gravis are discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D003429:Cross Reactions; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D009157:Myasthenia Gravis / Q000628:therapy*; D011817:Rabbits; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic / Q000276:immunology*; D012756:Sheep; D013045:Species Specificity; D014101:Torpedo
D000906:Antibodies; D007106:Immune Sera; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007130:Immunoglobulin Idiotypes; D011950:Receptors, Cholinergic