Suppression of reaginic antibody formation in guinea pigs by anti-idiotypic antibodies.

Syngeneic immunization of strain 2 and strain 13 guinea pigs with purified antibodies against benzyl-penicilloyl bovine IgG (BPO-BGG) produces anti-idiotypic antibodies which specifically inhibit antigen-induced T cell proliferation in vitro. In sensitized guinea pigs, passive administration (either intravenously or subcutaneously in complete Freund's adjuvant [CFA] of these anti-idiotypic antibodies has a reversible suppressive effect on IgG and IgM responses. In addition, preimmunization with idiotypes effects a long-term and specific suppression of the production of homocytotropic antibodies against a hapten-protein conjugate (BPO-BGG). The suppression of the homocytotropic antibody response in already sensitized outbred guinea pigs was attampted by immunization with autologous serum, autologous antibodies, or autologous lymphoid cells. With all immunization procedures used so far, no significant suppressive effects could be demonstrated. The significance of these findings, in terms of the practical potential of autoanti-idiotypic immunization for the management of allergic diseases, is briefly discussed.