[Suppression of cytotoxic cellular reactions by the production of antibodies to rhamnose determinants of streptococcal group A polysaccharide cross-reacting with antigens of the skin epithelium].

By the BALB/c mice after different periods of immunization with the streptococci group A, treated with pepsin, antibodies belonging to autoantibodies to the determinants (DT) of polysaccharide (A-PS), cross-reactive (CR) with the epithelial skin cells, were investigated. In one of the mice groups, in the autologous system, on the target cells--macrophages of lymph nodes, the suppression of cytotoxic (CT) reactions was obtained. The CR are bound with the delayed type hypersensitivity appearing after the sensibilization with BCG. The suppression effect correlate (z-0.95) with the presence in the sera antibodies to the rhamnose DT'S of A-PS, which cross-react with the cells of basal and superbasal layers of skin epithelium. Antibodies to the group specific of the A-PS, cross-react only with the basal skin layer and not produce the suppression of CT reactions. It is possible that they also prevent the suppression of CT reactions, bound with the CR antibodies to the rhamnose DT-S of A-PS. The obtained data corroborate the earlier supposition that the autoantibodies to the CR DT'S of A-PS reacting with the skin epithelial cells as a rule common the thymus epithelial cells. It is possible that different IRD'S can prevent or stimulate the development of autoimmune processes by the infections with the streptococci group A.