Spitzer R E, Stitzel A E, Tsokos G C
Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Health Science Center, Syracuse 13210.
Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1992 Mar;62(3):291-4. doi: 10.1016/0090-1229(92)90105-w.
We studied the fluctuation of autoantibody to the alternative pathway C3/C5 convertase (C3NeF) and its autoantidiotypic antibodies, Ab2 alpha and Ab2 beta, in normal individuals, patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), and New Zealand white rabbits. In normal individuals, serum levels of Ab2 alpha (anti-id Ab without internal imagery to the native antigen) are several times higher than those for Ab2 beta (anti-id Ab bearing the internal image of the native antigen). When normal rabbits are immunized with Ab2 beta, Ab3 is produced which has strong C3NeF activity. Ab3 acts to stimulate the prompt production of Ab4 alpha. Ab3 (C3NeF) titers then fall, followed by the appearance of Ab4 beta. Patients with MPGN and C3NeF activity were also studied. Untreated patients at the time of diagnosis have a two- to fourfold predominance of Ab2 beta which is a direct reversal of the normal situation. When the patients were treated with prednisone, C3NeF levels fell and Ab2 alpha again predominated. These data suggest that the idiotypic network acts to control the production of autoantibody in a balanced fashion. Moreover, these data suggest that the patients' response to Ab1 is quite different than that found in normal individuals.
我们研究了正常个体、膜增生性肾小球肾炎（MPGN）患者和新西兰白兔体内针对替代途径C3/C5转化酶的自身抗体（C3NeF）及其自身抗独特型抗体Ab2α和Ab2β的波动情况。在正常个体中，Ab2α（无针对天然抗原内影像的抗独特型抗体）的血清水平比Ab2β（带有天然抗原内影像的抗独特型抗体）高几倍。用Ab2β免疫正常兔子时，会产生具有强C3NeF活性的Ab3。Ab3刺激迅速产生Ab4α。然后Ab3（C3NeF）滴度下降，接着出现Ab4β。我们还研究了具有C3NeF活性的MPGN患者。诊断时未经治疗的患者中，Ab2β占主导地位，是正常情况的直接逆转，比例为2至4倍。当患者接受泼尼松治疗时，C3NeF水平下降，Ab2α再次占主导地位。这些数据表明，独特型网络以平衡的方式控制自身抗体的产生。此外，这些数据表明患者对Ab1的反应与正常个体有很大不同。
