Relation between the Major Histocompatibility (B) Locus and Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Obese Chickens

Abstract

Obese strain chickens develop circulating autoantibodies to thyroglobulin and lymphocytic infiltration of their thyroids during aging. Two alleles, B(1) and B(4), are found with high gene frequency at the major histocompatibility (B) locus. Greater pathology and higher antibody titers are observed in B(1)B(1) and B(1)B(4) birds than in their B(4)B(4) siblings.