![Sample our Bioscience journals, sign in here to start your access, Latest two full volumes FREE to you for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/5925/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Bioscience.jpg"})
Abstract
The in vivo effects of neonatal administration of varying doses of anti-idiotype antibodies on serum anti-acetylcholine receptor (AChR) antibody liters, idiotype expression, and disease severity was studied in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis. Polyclonal affinity purified anti-idiotype. antibodies and monoclonal anti-idiotype antibodies directed at anti-AChR monoclonal antibody 65 were administered in dosages varying from the nanogram to the microgram range. Mab 65 is directed against the main immunogenic region of mammalian AChR.
In 1 out of 4 experiments administration of a nanogram dosage of anti-idiotype antibodies led to an enhanced anti-AChR antibody response after immunization with AChR. But no enhancing effect on idiotype expression could be demonstrated during this experiment. Adoptive transfer of spleen cells from rats pre-treated with a nanogram dosage of anti-idiotype antibodies resulted in an significantly increased antibody response against rat AChR after immunization.
From these experiments we conclude that in vivo administration of polyclonal or monoclonal antiidiotypes does not reproduceably modify the serum antibody level against the acetylcholine receptor, nor influences the idiotype profile of the immune response. Secondly, the idiotype mediated manipulation of the immune response against large antigens, like the acetylcholine receptor, is clearly more complicated than that against small haptens. Adoptive transfer models, might be helpful in analysing the possibilities of antiidiotype treatment in myasthenia gravis in more detail.