CLONAL TAXONOMY VERSUS NETWORK PHYSIOLOGY - ARE LYMPHOCYTES CONCERNED WITH OUR DEFINITION OF IDIOTYPES

For some, idiotypes are interesting as markers of individual molecules, providing the basis for a taxonomy of B- and T-cell clones. For us, idiotypes are components of a larger network structure of variable regions, and their shapes are of significance because they establish connectivity. Each unique specificity per se is less interesting, for it is interchangeable without altering network organization. These issues are critical for delineating concepts of autoimmunity and for choosing between 'nonspecific' and 'targeted' approaches of immunoglobulin therapy in autoimmune diseases.