Rabbits immunized with thyroid-stimulating hormone produce autoantiidiotypic thyroid-stimulating antibodies.

We immunized rabbits with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) to investigate the hypothesis that such immunization could result in production of thyroid-stimulating autoantiidiotypic antibodies to anti-TSH. Thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulin (TSI) appeared in the serum of several rabbits after immunization. At 160 d, TSI equivalent to 6-18 microU TSH/1.5 mg IgG was present in two of six human (h)TSH-, two of six hTSH beta chain-, and two of the four surviving bovine (b)TSH-immunized animals. Control (human serum albumin-immunized rabbits) serum TSI was 4.3 +/- 0.4 (mean +/- SD) at this time. Antiidiotypic antibodies that could bind to monoclonal anti-hTSH were found in the sera of the bTSH-immunized rabbits. The peak TSI activity occurred 3 mo after a TSH booster immunization and declined gradually during subsequent weeks. Evidence that antiidiotypic antibodies to anti-TSH can cause thyroid stimulation strengthens the notion that such antibodies may be the cause of Graves' hyperthyroidism.