Antibody response of mice following neonatal treatment with a monoclonal anti‐receptor antibody. Evidence for B cell tolerance and T suppressor cells specific for different idiotopic determinants

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Abstract
BALB/c mice were injected neonatally with monoclonal antibody against a T15 idiotope, MaId5‐4, and the immune potential of splenic lymphocytes against phosphorylcholine (PC) was studied by stimulation with S. pneumoniae R36a (Pn) in vitro. The total number of PC‐specific plaque‐forming cells (PFC) and the proportion of PFC expressing the MaId5‐4 idiotope (Id+ PFC), as well as two other distinct (nonhomologous) idiotypes of the T15 family recognized by monoclonal antibodies AB1‐2 and B36‐82, was determined by plaque assay against PC‐coupled red blood cells. The magnitude of the total PFC response of splenocytes from age‐matched normal and MaId5‐4‐suppressed mice was comparable but all three Id(s) which were expressed on > 70% PFC from normal splenocytes were below detection level in splenocytes from suppressed mice. Depletion of T cells lowered the total PFC response to a comparable degree in both mice. Normal B cells (BN) stimulated by Pn expressed all three Id(s) much like the normal splenocytes. B cells from MaId5‐4‐suppressed mice (Bs) always failed to express MaId5‐4 but they occasionally did express the B36‐82 or Ab1‐2. The reciprocal mixing of B and T cells followed by Pn stimulation revealed that both normal T cells (TN) and T cells from MaId5‐4‐suppressed mice (Ts) provided equal help to either BN or Bs in regard to total PFC number. Ts consistently inhibited the expression of MaId5‐4 in BN cultures, but only rarely the expression of Ab1‐2 and B36‐82. Bs cocultured with TN never expressed MaId5‐4 but they sometimes did express one or both of the other two Id. These results show that neonatal application of a monoclonal anti‐Id suppresses the expression of the Id determinant which is recognized by the antibody, as well as other determinants. The mechanism of the suppression of the target Id (MaId5‐4) involves both B cell tolerance and active suppression. The mechanism of cosuppression (idiotopes AB1‐2 and B36‐82) is variable, apparently involving a B cell tolerance, lack of Id‐specific help, and/or active suppression.

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