Immunoglobulin idiotypic specificity of AIDS-associated lymphomas and their experimental model

B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (B-NHL) occurring in immunocompromised hosts, such as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) patients, is a high-grade malignancy resistant to regular chemotherapy. To determine whether immunotherapy with public anti-Ig idiotype antibodies can be used to treat these NHL, the Ig idiotype specificity of six NHL in AIDS patients (AIDS-ML) and 23 B-NHL experimentally induced in immunocompromised mice (SCID mice) was investigated. One of the six AIDS-ML and two of the 23 experimental B-NHL reacted monoclonally with a single public antibody, while one AIDS-ML and three experimental B-NHL reacted polyclonally with two or three different antibodies. The presence of Ig idiotypic polyclonality requires special consideration with regard to the introduction of anti-Ig idiotype immunotherapy in these cases.