Production of IgG autoantibodies to TCRs in mice infected with the retrovirus LP-BM5

Autoantibodies (AAbs) directed against particular segments ofthe variable region of TCR ß chains occur in normalhumans and in certain autoimmune diseases, but the factors regulatingthe appearance of such antibodies are unknown. We report thatAAbs binding a peptide determinant corresponding to the CDR1of the V_ß domain are elevated in C57BL/6 mice followinginfection with the LP-BM5 murlne leukemia retrovirus mixture,a treatment used to induce murine AIDS. The elevation of thelevel of these AAbs is an early event following retrovlral infectionwhich corresponds in part to the general polyclonal activationof the B cells, but a selectivity for particular V_ßsequences is apparent later. This suggests that the appearanceof these antibodies may play a part in the subsequent developmentof immunodeficiency. Since the antibodies studied are of theIgG isotype, both T cells and B cells are involved in theirelaboration.