Carrier-specific induction of suppressor cells controlling anti-erythrocyte autoantibody production in mice.

Mice immunized with rat erythrocytes develop anti-erythrocyte autoantibodies, distinct anti-rat erythrocyte agglutinins, and suppressor-inducer cells, which regulate the production of autoantibody but not anti-rat erythrocyte agglutinins upon transfer to naive recipients. In this report, we have tried to determine the specificity of the suppressor-inducer cells. CBA/N mice (which express an X-linked genetic B-lymphocyte defect) immunized with rat erythrocytes developed no autoantibodies but normal levels of anti-rat erythrocyte antibodies and suppressor-inducer cells, thereby suggesting that neither idiotypes on autoreactive B cells nor idiotypes on autoantibody itself, stimulate suppressor-inducer cells. In contrast, rat erythrocyte-primed spleen cells suppressed both a primary 2,4,6 trinitrophenyl (TNP) response and anti-erythrocyte autoantibody production (but not anti-rat erythrocyte antibodies) upon transfer to naive recipients and challenge with TNP-rat erythrocytes. It is considered that the suppressor-inducer cells are carrier-specific and that they are not stimulated by idiotypes on either autoantibody or autoreactive B cells.