Homologous monoclonal antibodies induce idiotope-specific suppression in neonates through maternal influence and in adults exposed during fetal and neonatal life
Rothstein, T.L.; Vastola, A.P.
Journal of Immunology 133(3): 1151-1154
1984
ISSN/ISBN: 0022-1767 PMID: 6747290 Document Number: 229373
The fine specificity of idiotype suppression induced early in ontogeny was investigated in the murine A/J anti-azophenylarsonate (Ar) response. Suppression was induced with two hapten-inhibitable, homologous monoclonal anti-idiotopic antibodies, AI and MB, that recognize partially overlapping sets of Ar-immune antibodies. Suppression was found to be idiotope-specific when adult mice were exposed to anti-idiotope as neonates; suppression was also idiotope specific when adult mice were exposed to anti-idiotope during fetal (through maternal inoculation) and neonatal life. Of particular interest, anti-idiotope, administered maternally, induced suppression in offspring first immunized with Ar as neonates, and this suppression was idiotope specific too. Thus, AI and MB induce idiotope-specific suppression in mice exposed to anti-idiotope early in ontogeny. These results parallel previous findings in adult mice and suggest that the mechanism of suppression in very young mice is the same as that in adults.