PMID: 7539350Nov 1, 1994Paper

Idiotypes as markers for immunoglobulin genes contributing to the production of rheumatoid factors: theoretical and practical implications

Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology
R Jefferis

Abstract

Monoclonal antibodies have been produced that recognise conventionally defined cross-reactive idiotopes (CRI) expressed on rheumatoid factors. However, it is now evident that these "CRI" are markers for variable region sequences encoded by germline V gene segments and, therefore, that most of these reagents recognise isotypic epitopes rather than CRI. The implications of these findings for the identification and manipulation of auto-reactive B cell clones and the definition of regulatory idiotypic networks are discussed.

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