ABSTRACT
An Idiotype (Id) is an antigenic determinant on the variable domain of an antibody molecule, as detected by a specific antibody. The totality of Id expressed in an individual is said to comprise that individual's repertoire of Id or antibody structures. By contrast, several laboratories have reported the presence of helper T cells specific for Id which selectively augments the production of antibody bearing that Id. Implicit in the observation that ThId cells selectively expand production of antibody of a particular structure, as detected by the production of a particular Id, is the notion that such cells exist only for certain Id. While ThId are interesting objects of study for a cellular immunologist interested in the structure of lymphocyte repertoires, one would like to know whether they play an important functional role in the protective immune response, or whether they are simply an intellectual curiosity.
