REGULATION OF EXPERIMENTAL AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS: INFLUENCE OF NON‐H‐2 GENES

Abstract
SUMMARY: Experiments were conducted to investigate the non‐H‐2 genetic effects on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT). Strains having C3H or BALB backgroud in general produced higher autoimmune responses to mouse thyroglobulin (MTg) than the B10 or A strains. Comparisons of C3H and B10 congenic strains carrying similar H‐2 haplotypes demonstrated that the C3H congenics had significantly higher MTg antibody titres and more severe thyroid damage, even when the strains carry the low responder H‐2 haplotypes. These observations show that non‐H‐2 gene(s) influences EAT, in addition to genes in the MHC.