Effects of anti-insulin receptor autoantibodies on the metabolism of human adipocytes.

We studied the effect of sera from two patients who had an unusual form of diabetic syndrome with extreme insulin resistance on the metabolism of human adipocytes in vitro. The IgG fractions from sera A and B, which were obtained from two patients (1 and 2) with insulin-resistant diabetes, inhibited [125I] insulin binding to human adipocytes and, at the same time, stimulated glucose oxidation and inhibited the lipolysis induced by levarterenol in human adipocytes. On the other hand, the IgG fraction from the C serum, which was obtained from patient 2 after her diabetic syndrome had completely disappeared as a result of immunosuppressive therapy, did not inhibit [125I] insulin binding to human adipocytes, stimulate glucose oxidation, or inhibit lipolysis in human adipocytes. These facts suggest that these IgG fractions bind to or near the insulin receptor of human adipocytes, that they exhibit their insulin-like effect by binding to the insulin receptor in vitro, and, furthermore, that they are responsible for the extremely insulin-resistant diabetes. However, the apparent discrepancy between the effects of these IgG fractions on man in vitro and in vivo is puzzling and needs to be explained.