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Human T-Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Hashimoto’s Disease^*

Istituto Scientifico di Medicina Interna, Cattedra di Endocrinologia Lausanne, Switzerland
Cattedra di Medicina Nucleare Lausanne, Switzerland
Istituto di Microbiologia University of Genoa Italy, Lausanne, Switzerland
Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research Lausanne, Switzerland

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. G. W. Canonica, Cattedra di Endocrinologia, I.S.M.I., University of Genoa, Viale Benedetto XV, 6, 16132 Genova, Italy.

An inherited defect of suppressor T-lymphocytes has been hypothesized in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. To assess this hypothesis, human T-lymphocyte subsets (T_G, T lymphocytes with surface receptors for the F_c fragment of immunoglobulin G; T_M, T lymphocytes with F_c receptor for immunoglobulin M) have been studied in nine patients affected by the disease. T_G cells have been previously shown to be suppressors in the poke weed mitogen-stimulated B-cell differentiation and have proved abnormal in several autoimmune or immunodeficiency disorders. The number of T_G lymphocytes in the patients did not differ from that in normal controls. It is possible that 1) suppressor Tlymphocytes are not involved in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto’s disease or 2) antigen-specific suppressor T-cells are involved, but too are low in number with respect to total T_G.

^* This work was supported in part by the Italian National Research Council, PFCCN 56/80.01597.96.

Received July 8, 1980.