Stimulation of Organ Specific and Non‐organ Specific Antigens on the Surface of Thyroid Cells by Phytohaemagglutinin P

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Abstract
Human thyroid primary, secondary and tertiary monolayer cultures with a low concentration of organ and non‐organ specific antigens on the surface of their cells were incubated with different does of phytohaemagglutinin P (PHA). PHA concentrations of 100–500 μg/ml of culture fluid were found to stimulate the appearance of organ‐specific and some not specified non‐organ‐specific antigens that were not demonstrable in unstimulated cultures. The effect was demonstrated with the mixed haemadsorption radial diffusion disc test (MHT) with the mixed haemadsorption isotope test, and with indirect immunofluorescence tests on monolayer cultures grown on cover slips and on suspensions of cells dispersed from monolayer cultures. Whether the stimulatory effect is due to a stimulation of some restricted cell functions or merely to a general stimulation of the cell metabolism that is known to occur, remains to be investigated.