Abstract
SummaryA major proportion of CD5+ B lymphocytes are committed to the production of a discrete type of antibody that is polyreactive. Polyreactive antibodies appear to use selected V and, perhaps, D gene segments, mostly in unmutated configuration. They generally display relatively low affinity for different antigens and are often part of the primary response to foreign antigens. Polyreactive antibodies probably play a major role in vivo as a first line of defense against infectious agents not only by helping to temporarily limit the early stage of infection by directly binding to microorganisms, but also, owing to their RF-like activity, to amplify an ongoing IgG-mediated secondary response. In some cases, however, complete eradication of the invading pathogens may only be accomplished by the high affinity antibodies, mainly IgG, that appear late in the antibody response and are produced, in general, by cells that utilize a more diverse assortment of VH/VL gene combinations and/or have undergone an antige...
Published Version
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