Idiotype regulation: a model for B cell tolerance

Immunological tolerance represents an individual's nonresponsiveness to self-antigens or foreign antigens. Inasmuch as the mechanism of self-nonself discrimination tolerance is unknown, it remains an area of active investigation because of its implied involvement in certain immune disorders. In this paper we discuss neonatal idiotype suppression and internal idiotope vaccination as models for B cell tolerance. The results demonstrate opposite aspects of idiotope regulation. Neonatal idiotype suppression represents an anti-idiotype-induced establishment of tolerance, whereas an internal antigen vaccine overcomes an established tolerance to self-antigens. New views on the functional importance of idiotype self-tolerance are discussed.