Autoantibodies to insulin receptor spontaneously develop as anti-idiotypes in mice immunized with insulin.

Mice immunized with insulin developed antibodies to both insulin and the insulin receptor. The antibodies to insulin receptor displaced labeled insulin from insulin receptors and mimicked the actions of insulin in stimulating the oxidation of glucose and its incorporation into lipids, and in inhibiting lipolysis. The antibodies to insulin receptor could be blocked by or bound to the antibodies to insulin, and therefore were identified as anti-idiotypes. Thus, immunization against a hormone may activate spontaneously an idiotype-anti-idiotype network resulting in antibodies to the hormone receptor.