B cells expressing a natural polyreactive autoantibody have a distinct phenotype and are overrepresented in immunoglobulin heavy chain transgenic mice.

Abstract excerpt

Despite stringent regulation of disease-associated autoantibodies, a substantial proportion of circulating Abs in sera of healthy individuals exhibit self-reactivity. These Abs are referred to as naturally occurring or natural autoantibodies (NAAs). To understand the origin and function of NAAs, we have generated a new site-directed transgenic mouse model in which a prerearranged VDJ gene coding for the H chain...

Topics

• Animals
• Animals, Newborn
• Autoantibodies
• B-Lymphocytes
• Gene Targeting
• Immunoglobulin Heavy Chains
• Immunophenotyping
• Mice
• Mice, Inbred BALB C
• Mice, Transgenic
• Mutagenesis, Insertional
• Phenotype