Open Collections

Abstract

In order to establish the presence of anti-anti-self antibodies and study such MHC mimicking antibodies in the sera of alloimmune mice, reciprocal sets of alloantisera were raised between the following pairs of mice : Balb/c and C57BL/6 (B6), Balb/c and CBA, and B6 and CBA. After 10 weeks of alloimmunization, the presence of anti-anti-self antibodies could be detected by an avidin-biotin ELISA, and by inhibition of antibody and complement mediated cytotoxicity in the alloimmune B6 and Balb/c sera. Such antibodies belonged to the immunoglobulin G class. Considerably higher levels of anti-antiself antibodies were induced in alloimmune B6 mice compared to alloimmune Balb/c mice. Moreover, anti-anti-self antibodies spontaneously occurred in the serum of old B6 mice. Anti-anti-self antibodies in alloimmune B6 mice were shown to be highly specific. Anti-anti-self antibodies in both alloimmune and old B6 mice specifically inhibited the cytotoxicity of anti-foreign MHC antibodies present in the converse Balb/c anit-B6 antiserum. This indicates that these antibodies have a self MHC mimicking activity.