The idiotypic characterization of the immune response to a defined epitope of a protein antigen and the specific in vivo suppression of the immune response to this epitope by anti-idiotypic antibodies.

The anti-TMVP antibodies also recognized the epitope analog with methione substitution at residue tyrosine 5. Binding of the epitope to the anti-TMVP antibodes was inhibited when mice were pre-treated in vivo by administration of anti-idiotypic antibodies to an epitope-specific mAb. This inhibition was not observed in C.AL-20 mice.