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Molecular mimicry of a carbohydrate epitope on a major surface glycoprotein of Trypanosoma cruzi by using anti-idiotypic antibodies
Journal article   Peer reviewed

Molecular mimicry of a carbohydrate epitope on a major surface glycoprotein of Trypanosoma cruzi by using anti-idiotypic antibodies

David L Sacks, Louis V Kirchhoff, Sara Hieny and Alan Sher
The Journal of immunology (1950), Vol.135(6), pp.4155-4159
1985
DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.135.6.4155
PMID: 2415602

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Abstract

The use of anti-idiotypic antibodies (Ab2) to induce anti-microbial immunity might be particularly advantageous with respect to responses directed against carbohydrate determinants, because it may not be feasible to reproduce these epitopes by recombinant DNA technology. In the present studies, rabbit Ab2 were produced against a recurrent BALB/c idiotype defined by a monoclonal antibody (WIC 29.26) with specificity for a carbohydrate epitope of a major surface glycoprotein of Trypanosoma cruzi. The Ab2 induced specific antibodies in mice, rabbits, and guinea pigs, and reacted with parasite-induced anti-T. cruzi antibodies from mice and rabbits as well as humans. The behavior of this Ab2 is therefore consistent with that of the antigen itself, and suggests that molecular mimicry of carbohydrate epitopes can be easily achieved.
Infectious Diseases Biological and medical sciences General aspects Medical sciences Parasitic diseases Protozoal diseases

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