Monoclonal anti-idiotypes to herpes simplex virus type 1 capable of antigen specific priming & stimulatory activity.

Anti-idiotypic antibodies (Ab-2) to HSV-1 (herpes simplex virus 1) neutralizing monoclonal antibody were raised by hybridoma. These Ab-2 were found to represent an epitope of glycoprotein B (gB-1) of this virus. To further characterise this antibody for its ability to mimic the antigenic epitope, in vitro lymphoproliferation assays were done. In this assay (i) antigen specific lymphocyte priming activity of the three monoclonal Ab-2 and (ii) the in vitro stimulating ability of these Ab-2 for gb-1 primed mouse lymphocytes were tested. We could identify two monoclonal Ab-2 which were able to prime the mouse lymphocytes in vivo. These antibodies were able to recognise the in vitro stimulation signal of the antigen gB-1 and consequently could proliferate. The stimulation index was comparable to that with the antigen. These two Ab-2 were also recognized by the antigen primed mouse lymphocytes in a specific manner.