Monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies as probes for common idiotopes shared by anti-"benzo(a)pyrene-like" IgA of cancer patients and rabbit anti-conjugated benzo(a)pyrene antibodies.
Anti-"benzo(a)pyrene [B(a)P]-like" IgA [referred as idiotypic antibodies (Abl)] from cancer patients' sera were found to react with conjugated B(a)P and a monoclonal anti-anti-conjugated B(a)P, internal image of conjugated B(a)P called AIB1 (referred to as Ab2 beta). These IgA were used to raise mouse monoclonal anti-idiotypic antibodies (Ab2). A monoclonal Ab2 called AIK1 was characterized as the internal image of a "B(a)P-like" structure. As shown by competitive experiments, AIK1 inhibited the reaction between Ab1 from a rabbit anti-conjugated B(a)P serum- and its relevant internal image, AIB1. Furthermore, AIB1 inhibited the reaction between AIK1 and anti-"B(a)P-like" IgA from cancer patients' sera. These observations confirmed the cross-reactivity between idiotypic determinants of human anti-"B(a)P-like" IgA and rabbit anti-conjugated B(a)P antibodies (Ab). This result was reinforced by a correlation between the anti-"B(a)P-like" IgA levels found in cancer patients' sera using indirect ELISA method with conjugated B(a)P, AIB1 and AIK1 coated on well-plates.