| First Author | Wang MW | Year | 1989 |
| Journal | Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A | Volume | 86 |
| Issue | 18 | Pages | 7098-102 |
| PubMed ID | 2780564 | Mgi Jnum | J:26391 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:74840 | Doi | 10.1073/pnas.86.18.7098 |
| Citation | Wang MW, et al. (1989) Blocking of pregnancy in mice by immunization with anti-idiotype directed against monoclonal anti-progesterone antibody. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 86(18):7098-102 |
| abstractText | Passive transfer of monoclonal anti-progesterone antibodies shortly after mating blocks the onset of pregnancy in different species (mouse, rat, and ferret). Here we report that BALB/c mice can be actively immunized against progesterone, and hence against pregnancy, by means of rabbit anti-idiotypic antibodies specific for a mouse monoclonal anti-progesterone antibody, DB3. Some of the anti-idiotypic antibodies reacted with the steroid-combining site on the DB3 molecule. In response to repeated anti-idiotypic immunization, mice produced serum anti-progesterone antibodies (up to 100 micrograms/ml) that resembled DB3 in idiotypy, affinity, and specificity for progesterone and other steroid ligands. Thus an anti-idiotype can mimic the antigenicity of a steroid hormone with a high degree of accuracy. Compared with immunization with a progesterone-bovine serum albumin conjugate, the anti-progesterone response to anti-idiotype was considerably lower and clonally restricted. When mated after completion of the immunization course, the fertility rate of anti-idiotype-immunized mice was reduced to 30% from a control level of 91%. The anti-fertility effect was correlated with the circulating anti-progesterone concentration in individual animals and persisted for 4 or 5 estrous cycles. Active immunization with progesterone-bovine serum albumin was a highly effective means of rendering mice infertile; it reduced the fertility rate to zero over 16 or 17 estrous cycles. Our results suggest that anti-idiotypes may form the basis of contraceptive vaccines. |
