Elicitation of delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to poly(L-Tyr,LGlu)-poly(DLAla)--poly(LLys) by anti-idiotypic antibodies.

The in vivo effect of murine anti-idiotypic serum against C3H.SW anti-poly(LTyr,LGlu)-poly(DLAla)-(LLys) [(T,G)-A--L] antibodies on delayed type hypersensitivity responses to (T,G)-A--L was studied. Anti-idiotypic serum could challenge DTH responses in C3H.SW mice transferred with antigen-sensitized T cells. The elicitation activity was shown to be antigen and strain specific. With H-2-compatible (but allotype different) strain combinations of (T,G)-A--L-educated T cells and recipients, we were able to show that the biological effect of the anti-idiotypic serum is expressed on the first antigen-sensitized idiotype-positive radioresistant T cell, but not on the proliferating normal cells of recipient origin that participate in the efferent phase of delayed-type hypersensitivity responses to (T,G)-A--L.