Identification of Anti-Idiotypic Antibodies to Anti-Phosphotyrosine Antibodies in Human Sera

Abstract

We have recently identified in SLE sera antibodies against phosphotyrosine. They were also detected in normal sera and gammaglobulin preparations, suggesting that they belong to natural autoantibodies. In this paper, the occurrence of anti-idiotypic antibodies against anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies, in the above mentioned samples, is investigated. In order to identify these anti-idiotypic antibodies ELISA, immunoprecipitation and immunoblotting are performed. Our data demonstrate the presence of anti-idiotypic antibodies specific to anti-phosphotyrosine antibodies in SLE sera as well as in normal sera, suggesting that these anti-idiotypic antibodies are also auto-anti-idiotypic antibodies. The densitometry of immunoblots reveals significantly higher levels of anti-idiotypic antibodies in SLE sera. Based on the competition inhibition studies we conclude that some of these anti-idiotypic antibodies belong to beta/gamma type.

The promise of the anti-idiotype concept

“…The first, is the role of the network in immune regulation as an important participant in the assortment of an improved clinical outcome (Abdeen, 2011). This role has been confirmed by the finding that “auto-anti-idiotypic” antibodies against the induced antibody (Ab1) arise during the immune response in mice (Kluskens and Kohler, 1974; Cosenza, 1976) and in humans (Stefanescu et al, 1993). The second, fundamentally proposes that antibodies can themselves function as surrogates of antigens and immunogens (McNamara et al, 1984; Hernandez et al, 2008, 2011) that redefines anti-Ids as network antigens (Kohler et al, 1989).…”