Recently, an antiidiotype to human monoclonal IgM anti-IgG autoantibodies (rheumatoid factors) was found to react also with human IgG. This peculiar antiidiotype was called an 'epibody'. We describe the induction of a similar epibody by immunization with a synthetic peptide (corresponding to one hypervariable region of the IgM-RF Glo). The results confirm the existence of epibodies, and provide the possible molecular basis of the epibody phenomenon.

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