PRODUCTION OF IGG AUTOANTIBODIES TO TCRS IN MICE INFECTED WITH THE RETROVIRUS LP-BM5

Autoantibodies (AAbs) directed against particular segments of the vari able region of TCR beta chains occur in normal humans and in certain a utoimmune diseases, but the factors regulating the appearance of such antibodies are unknown. We report that AAbs binding a peptide determin ant corresponding to the CDR1 of the V-beta domain are elevated in C57 BL/6 mice following infection with the LP-BM5 murine leukemia retrovir us mixture, a treatment used to induce murine AIDS. The elevation of t he level of these AAbs is an early event following retroviral infectio n which corresponds in part to the general polyclonal activation of th e B cells, but a selectivity for particular V-beta sequences is appare nt later. This suggests that the appearance of these antibodies may pl ay a part in the subsequent development of immunodeficiency. Since the antibodies studied are of the IgG isotype, both T cells and B cells a re involved in their elaboration.