Expression and Relationships of Seven Public Idiotypes of DNA-Binding Autoantibodies on Monoclonal Antibodies and Serum Immunoglobulins:

Many studies have shown that DNA-reactive autoantibodies share cross-reactive public idiotypes that are defined, usually, by single anti-idiotype reagents. Because anti-idiotype antibodies or antisera will be limited in their ability to detect all the idiotopes of a particular antibody, their use will tend to underestimate the full extent of idiotype sharing between different antibodies. In order to define more comprehensively the extent of idiotype sharing in DNA autoantibodies, a panel of DNA-binding monoclonal autoantibodies from lupus mice was examined with a range of anti-idiotype antisera prepared in rabbits (five sera), guinea pigs (four sera) and a sheep. Each idiotype was detected on more antibodies than its original reference monoclonal antibody, and idiotopes of each were also present on serum immunoglobulins from lupus mice. Of 23 monoclonal antibodies 65% reacted with one or more of the anti-idiotype reagents. On these criteria, all the idiotypes were public; none was private in its expressio...