Reciprocal expansions of idiotypic and anti-idiotypic clones following antigen stimulation

Abstract

IT has been postulated by Jerne that a network of idiotypic and anti-idiotypic interactions between lymphocytes may constitute a principal form of immune regulation1,2. This network would control and ‘remember’ the antigen-induced activation of a particular (idiotypic) clone through its idiotopic or paratopic interactions with regulatory clones. These latter clones would in turn be regulated in the same fashion, creating what Jerne has called a ‘web of V-domains’ (ref. 2). Current experimental evidence strongly supports the concept of idiotype-directed regulation and also documents phenotypic complexity within the anti-idiotype response; for example, anti-idiotypic cells (and/or their products) may help or suppress the idiotypic response3–8. However, this apparent complexity does not diminish the importance of Jerne's basic premise that reciprocal activation between idiotypic and anti-idiotypic clones could establish an equilibrium system capable of regulating the immune response9–11. We present here evidence for oscillatory behaviour in the population dynamics of a single, antigen-stimulated clone and for the reciprocal behaviour of the specific anti-idiotypic (idiotype binding) clones.