Suppression of anti-DNA antibody production in MRL mice by treatment with anti-idiotypic antibodies.

Antibodies against idiotypic determinants carried by a monoclonal polyspecific natural autoantibody were raised in rabbits and in syngeneic BALB/c mice. These anti-idiotypic antibodies were administered to newborn and to pregnant BALB/c mice and to MRL-lpr/lpr mice. Serial measurements of the idiotypes, naturally occurring autoantibodies, and antibodies obtained after antigenic stimulation were performed in the sera of the injected mice and in the offspring of pregnant mice. No idiotypic suppression was noted in newborn injected mice. Transient suppression of idiotypes recognized by the syngeneic anti-idiotypic antibody was noted in the offspring of pregnant mice injected with the rabbit polyclonal anti-idiotypic antiserum. No changes in naturally occurring autoantibodies or in antibodies appearing after antigenic stimulation were noted in BALB/c mice. In contrast, a significant decrease of spontaneously occurring anti-DNA antibodies was found in MRL-lpr/lpr mice treated with rabbit polyclonal anti-idiotypic antiserum. Furthermore in these mice a slight decrease of anti-TNP antibodies was also observed. These results suggest that anti-idiotypic antibodies directed against natural autoantibodies may play a regulatory role in the immune system; this role is more easily appreciated in mice suffering from immune dysregulation.