Priority of the anti-idiotypic response after antigen administration: artefact or intriguing network mechanism?

Immunization triggers at least two speck responses measurable at cellular and humoral levels: the antigen-driven proliferation of idiotype-bearing (idt+) cells; and an autochthonous anti-idt response'. As the expansion of the idt* clone(s) is presumed to provide the activating stimulus for the complementary response, one expects the proliferation of anti-idt clones to follow the idt response at an interval equivalent to the time required for ~pmphocyte activation. However, there have been several reports of an autochthonous anti-idt response preceding the expansion of antigen-driven idt' clone(s). In this brief commentary, we examine these reports and offer some suggestions that may resolve this apparent paradox.