Sensitization of T-Lymphocytes in Graves’ and Hashimoto's Diseases*

Abstract

To investigate the sensitization of T-lymphocytes to thyroid antigen in autoimmune thyroid disease, a modified migration inhibition factor test was employed using human peripheral T-lymphocytes. Mononuclear cells from the peripheral blood of patients with untreated Graves’ disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) as well as from normal subjects were fractionated into E-rosetting (T-cell-enriched) and non-Erosetting (B cell- and monocyte-enriched) fractions. The migration index (MI) of T-lymphocytes from 20 patients with untreated GD and 13 patients with HT in response to either crude human thyroid antigen (88 /μg/0.5 ml) or solubilized TSH receptor antigen (20 μg/0.5 ml) was significantly inhibited compared to the unaffected migration of T-lymphocytes from 24 normal subjects. There was no correlation between these results and any of the thyroid autoantibodies. In GD patients taking propylthiouracil, the MI of T-lymphocytes in response to the thyroid antigens was inhibited in only 4 of 9 cases. The MI of Tlymphocytes from patients with GD and HT, however, was not inhibited when crude human liver antigen or tuberculin-purified protein derivative was used as a control antigen. In contrast,there was no significant difference in the MI in response to thyroid antigen between normal persons and patients with GD and HT when the non-T fraction of lymphocytes (B-cell-enriched fraction) was employed. The foregoing observations suggest that: 1) the T-lymphocyte is the predominant migrating cell; 2) GD and HT T-lymphocytes are sensitized to thyroid antigen; and 3) the thyroid cell membrane preparation may be the appropriate antigen in GD and HT. (J Clin Endocrinol Metab51: 316 1980)