An immunoglobulin-specific autoantibody occurring during alloimmunization suppresses the antibody response.
Our previous studies showed that a broadly reactive immunoglobulin G (IgG) anti-immunoglobulin (IgG-anti-Ig) autoantibody is induced during the immune response of LEW rats to BN blood cells. The present experiments analyze the immunoregulatory effect of this physiological autoantibody on antigen receptor-activated B cells in cell cultures. The results show that: (a) At 0.9 pg IgG-anti-Ig/10(6) B cells, an almost complete suppression of the antibody response is induced: we calculated that a few IgG-anti-Ig molecules are sufficient to suppress the antibody response of one B cell; (b) IgG-anti-Ig-induced B-cell suppression is dose-dependent; (c) IgG-anti-Ig suppresses B cells contained in their natural environment (mixed spleen cell population). These data demonstrate that the IgG-anti-Ig autoantibody is an extremely efficient regulatory molecule of the alloimmune response.
Terness
P
P
Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of Immunology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Süsal
C
C
Baur
C
C
Opelz
G
G
D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D001803:Blood Transfusion; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000276:immunology*; D023421:Models, Animal; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007136:Immunoglobulins