CROSS-REACTIVE IDIOTYPES ON CRYOPRECIPITATING MONOCLONAL IGMK RHEUMATOID FACTORS

Shared idiotype specificities (CRIs) among monoclonal IgM rheumatoid f actors from patients with essential mixed cryoglobulinemia have been d emonstrated with the use of polyclonal antisera and have been confirme d, more recently, using monoclonal antibodies. In this paper we will s ummarize some of the work that has been performed in our laboratory us ing anti-idiotypic monoclonal antibodies. Such reagents allowed us to detect CRIs on cryoprecipitable rheumatoid factors, to detect idiotype positive cells in bone marrow and peripheral blood, and to identify g lomerular immune deposits.