title: Polyreactive Antibodies: Function and Quantification.
abstract: Polyreactive antibodies, a major component of the natural antibody repertoire, bind with low affinity to a variety of structurally unrelated antigens. Many of these antibodies are germline or near germline in sequence. Little is known, however, about the function of these antibodies. In the present mini-review we show: (1) that the broad antibacterial activity of the natural antibody repertoire is largely due to polyreactive antibodies, which in the presence of complement lyse bacteria and enhance phagocytosis; (2) that polyreactive antibodies bind to UV- or human immunodeficiency virus-induced apoptotic cells and with complement enhance the phagocytosis of these cells by macrophages; and (3) that dinitrophenol can be used as a surrogate for quantitating the level of polyreactive antibodies in serum. We conclude that polyreactive antibodies protect the host against both foreign invaders and its own damaged/apoptotic cells.
authors.affiliation: Experimental Medicine Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Sreenivasulu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gunti
authors.affiliation: Experimental Medicine Section, Laboratory of Sensory Biology, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Abner Louis
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Notkins
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D000918:Antibody Specificity / Q000276:immunology*; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000276:immunology; D001419:Bacteria / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D000941:Antigens
keywords: apoptotic cells; bacteria; natural antibody; phagocytosis; polyreactive antibody