AUTOIMMUNITY IN HUMAN THYROID DISEASE

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Abstract
Summary: The occurrence of circulating antibodies to thyroid antigens was investigated by the tanned‐red‐cell hæmagglutination (T.R.C.H.) and complement fixation (C.F.) tests, whole thyroid extract being used as antigen. Whole thyroid was found to be equivalent to thyroglobulin as an antigen in the T.R.C.H. reaction.In Hashimoto's thyroiditis and myxœdema, the incidence of positive T.R.C.H. reactors (titres greater than 100) was over 70% and in thyrotoxicosis 47%.In thyrotoxicosis, the incidence of positive reactors was influenced by therapy (radio‐iodine or surgery), but was independent of age, sex, toxicity and the type of goitre.The present study indicates that “leakage” of thyroid components with immunological response occurs frequently in thyroid disorder and occasionally in health, but per se has no pathogenic significance.It is postulated that, under certain circumstances, perhaps associated with weakness of immunological homœostasis, immunologically competent cells reaching and reacting with thyroid tissue give rise to damage, thus rendering more antigen accessible and so leading to “colonization” of the tissue with lymphoid cells and self‐perpetuating disease