Spontaneous Thyroiditis in an Obese Strain of Chickens

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Abstract
The development of spontaneous chronic thyroiditis in the Obese Strain (OS) of White Leghorn chickens was analyzed chronologically by serologic and histologic studies covering a period from 1 to 24 weeks of age. Histologic changes appear within 2 weeks after hatching, reaching a maximum after 4 to 5 weeks. The infiltration of the thyroid glands consists mainly of large mononuclear cells and many germinal centers are present. Circulating antibodies against thyroglobulin were demonstrated in the sera of OS chickens by passive hemagglutination and by agar gel diffusion. Antibody titers demonstrated by passive hemagglutination increased with age. There was some, but not absolute correlation between the presence of thyroglobulin antibodies and the severity of thyroid lesions. One chicken from a “normal” White Leghorn strain revealed a slight degree of thyroid infiltration, while animals from a pathogen-free “normal” strain were completely free of thyroid alterations. On the other hand, the parent Cornell C-strain of White Leghorn chickens occasionally showed weak degrees of thyroid infiltration. Neither sera of the Cornell C-strain nor of the two normal control strains contained antibodies against thyroglobulin.

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