In vitro lymphocyte proliferation in response to polyclonal activators and microbial antigens, and production of immunoglobulins stimulating thyroid adenylate cyclase in Graves' disease

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Abstract
Cultures of blood lymphocytes from 16 patients with Graves'' disease (GD) and 14 matched controls were studied. Incorporation of [14C]thymidine was significantly increased in unstimulated cultures of GD lymphocytes; the incorporation after stimulation with polyclonal activators (concanavalin A, pokeweed mitogen, phytohemagglutinin), microbial antigens (Escherichia coli, Candida albicans extract, purified protein derivative of tuberculin, Yersinia enterocolitica serotype 3) and subcellular fractions of human thyroid antigens did not differ from the controls. Due to the increased incorporation in unstimulated cultures, stimulation index is not suitable as an indicator of lymphocyte sensitization. After polyclonal activation or stimulation with thyroid antigens the lymphocytes were cultured for up to 21 days; the supernatants were investigated for thyroid adenylate cyclase stimulating Ig (TACSI). No TACSI were demonstrated in supernatants of the lymphocyte cultures after polyclonal activation or after specific stimulation with several thyroid antigens.