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Failure to demonstrate allotype-specific helper cells for antibody production in the rat

Nature volume 267, pages 440–441 (1977)Cite this article

Abstract

THE way in which the immune response is regulated is poorly understood but network theories, based on idiotype–anti-idiotype interactions have been widely discussed1. It has been suggested2,3 that in addition to the idiotype-based network an allotype network also exists. This hypothesis rests on the demonstration3 that in a particular mouse strain, carrier-primed T cells from Ig 1-a homozygotes collaborated in a secondary anti-DNP (dinitrophenol) response with Ig 1-a allotype, but not Ig 1-b allotype, B cells from DNP-primed 1-a/1-b heterozygotes. In attempting to understand the regulation of the immune response it is clearly essential to establish whether the heavy chain allotype specificity of helper T cells shown by these experiments is common to all allotypes and is not a particular feature of the system studied. Here we describe experiments in which we were unable to demonstrate allotype-specific helper cells for antibody production in the rat.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. MRC Cellular Immunology Unit, Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK

    D. W. MASON, S. J. SIMMONDS & R. A. H. WHITE

Authors
  1. D. W. MASON
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  2. S. J. SIMMONDS
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  3. R. A. H. WHITE
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MASON, D., SIMMONDS, S. & WHITE, R. Failure to demonstrate allotype-specific helper cells for antibody production in the rat. Nature 267, 440–441 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/267440a0

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