title: Polyclonal anti-idiotypes induce antibody responses protective against ricin cytotoxicity.
abstract: Protein G-purified goat anti-ricin IgG, previously demonstrated to protect against ricin toxicity in vitro and in vivo, was used to raise BALB/c mouse and New Zealand White rabbit polyclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies. The generated anti-idiotypic sera were repeatedly absorbed over agarose conjugated to normal goat immunoglobulins, and purified by protein A-agarose affinity chromatography. Immunization of BALB/c mice with BALB/c anti-idiotypes did not result in a significant anti-ricin antibody response. However, injection of BALB/c mice with BALB/c anti-idiotypes conjugated to keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH) or with unconjugated rabbit anti-idiotypes resulted in specific and anti-ricin immune responses. The anti-idiotype-induced anti-ricin antibody responses protected against the in vitro cytotoxicity of ricin, a potent plant-derived protein synthesis inhibitor, as assessed by the murine EL-4 leukaemia cell assays. Thus, anti-idiotype-based vaccines may represent an alternative, safe and effective means of inducing protective immunity against toxins such as ricin, whose extreme in vivo toxicity render them unsafe as immunogens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Virology and Immunology, Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research, San Antonio, Texas 78228-0147.
authors.forename: T C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chanh
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Hewetson
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011817:Rabbits; D012276:Ricin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D012276:Ricin; D006433:Hemocyanins; C032808:keyhole-limpet hemocyanin