LYMPHOCYTE BLASTOGENIC RESPONSE TO HUMAN THYROGLOBULIN IN GRAVES-DISEASE, HASHIMOTOS THYROIDITIS, AND METASTATIC THYROID-CANCER

  • 1 January 1979
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 38  (3) , 523-530
Abstract
In view of past contradictory reports concerning in vitro lymphocyte transformation induced by human thyroglobulin (Tg) in thyroid diseases, the response using improved methods in cell separation, culture and cell harvesting was re-examined. The optimal dose level of Tg for maximal blastogenesis in culture differs from patient to patient. It was inappropriate to use a single dose level of Tg for evaluation of the blastogenesis in study groups. By using serial Tg dose levels of 0.5 through 30 .mu.g/ml in cultures, the incidence of positive responders in Graves'' disease was 69.2%, in Hashimoto''s thyroiditis 71.4% and in healthy controls 9.1%. Metastatic thyroid cancer patients responded in a 50% incidence. All positive responders in the cancer group had elevated Tg levels, but no anti-Tg antibody in their sera.