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Anti-idiotypes and transfusions
W J Burlingham1, H W Sollinger
1Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin Clinical Science Center, Madison 53792.
There is growing evidence for the existence of an idiotypic network in the mammalian response to alloantigens, in particular to MHC antigens. The direct evidence for induction of Ab-2 to particular donor HLA-specificities by DST is strong; in addition, there is recent evidence for Ab-2 to Ab-1 specific for constant regions of HLA-ABC antigens in the sera of multiply-transfused patients. On the other hand, evidence for induction of anti-TCR antibodies by DST is based primarily on functional specificity rather than biochemical evidence; the evidence available suggests that MLC BF induced by DST may be directed against V beta family or public idiotypes on recipient T cells, since the amount of inhibition obtained is weak and no evidence of "clonotypic" antibodies has been found in studies of T cell lines or lymphoblasts. Better molecular probes, including human monoclonal antibodies, T cell clones, and purified TCR are needed to screen for specific anti-idiotypes in transfused patients.
There is growing evidence for the existence of an idiotypic network in the mammalian response to alloantigens, in particular to MHC antigens. The direct evidence for induction of Ab-2 to particular donor HLA-specificities by DST is strong; in addition, there is recent evidence for Ab-2 to Ab-1 specific for constant regions of HLA-ABC antigens in the sera of multiply-transfused patients. On the other hand, evidence for induction of anti-TCR antibodies by DST is based primarily on functional specificity rather than biochemical evidence; the evidence available suggests that MLC BF induced by DST may be directed against V beta family or public idiotypes on recipient T cells, since the amount of inhibition obtained is weak and no evidence of "clonotypic" antibodies has been found in studies of T cell lines or lymphoblasts. Better molecular probes, including human monoclonal antibodies, T cell clones, and purified TCR are needed to screen for specific anti-idiotypes in transfused patients.