Modulation of the murine immune response to human IgG by complexing with monoclonal antibodies. I. Antibody responses to determinants on the constant region of light chains and gamma chains.

Complexing a human IgG lambda paraprotein with a monoclonal antibody (McAb) to a lambda-chain determinant markedly depressed the anti-lambda response of immunized mice. No anti-lambda was found in the serum after two or four injections of the complex, whereas high titres of anti-lambda chain antibody were found in the sera of mice immunized with the IgG paraprotein complexed with any single anti-gamma chain McAb or with a pool of anti-gamma chain McAbs. Responses to the highly immunogenic Fc gamma portion of the molecule were not suppressed by complexing with a single anti-gamma chain McAb and were only slightly suppressed after complexing with a pool of anti-gamma chain McAbs. Some anti-Fc gamma antibody was produced by all animals receiving a single injection of the immunogen complexed to any McAb, but free immunogen did not generate a primary response. Complexing the IgG with an anti-Fc gamma McAb enhanced the response to to the poorly immunogenic C gamma 1 domain but no anti-C-gamma 1 was produced by mice receiving the IgG complexed with an anti-C-gamma 1 McAb. In immunizations with 'free' (Bence-Jones) lambda chain, all the antibody produced was directed against 'free'-specific determinants. Complexing the Bence-Jones protein with McAbs to 'free' or 'general' determinants on the lambda chain did not enhance or suppress the response. It is concluded that the response to weakly or moderately immunogenic, but not to strongly immunogenic, regions of the molecule may be suppressed by complexing the immunogen with a McAb of appropriate specificity. Possible reasons for this result are discussed.