help button home button Endocrine Society JCEM JCEM Call for Nominations for EIC
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Submit a related Letter to the Editor
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me when eLetters are posted
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Davies, T. F.
Right arrow Articles by Platzer, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Davies, T. F.
Right arrow Articles by Platzer, M.

Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 62, 945-949, Copyright © 1986 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Restricted heterogeneity and T cell dependence of human thyroid autoantibody immunoglobulin G subclasses

TF Davies, CM Weber, P Wallack and M Platzer

Twenty-five sera from patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, positive for thyroglobulin (hTg) and/or thyroid microsomal autoantibodies (M- Ab), were assessed by specific micro-ELISA to determine thyroid autoantibody immunoglobulin G (IgG) subclass distribution. Of the 25 sera, 22 were positive for M-Ab. All but 1 sample had restricted heterogeneity confined to IgG1 and/or IgG4 subclasses. The contribution of each subclass to an individual autoantibody titer varied from 100% IgG1 to 100% IgG4. Sixteen of the 25 sera had detectable hTg-Ab, and the majority also were restricted to IgG1 and IgG4, with similar distributions occurring among subclasses. In all, only 5 sera had hTg/M- Ab in IgG subclasses 2 and/or 3. T cell control of pokeweed mitogen- stimulated IgG subclass secretion was analyzed using increasing numbers of T cells in ratios of T to non-T from 0:1 to 10:1. In normal subjects, IgG1, but not IgG 2, 3, or 4, had T cell dependence, as evidenced by enhancement and inhibition of IgG1 secretion as the number of T cells increased. T cell suppressor dysfunction was apparent in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, as demonstrated by the reduced ability of patient T cells (n = 6), compared with normal T cells (n = 6), to suppress total IgG1 subclass secretion. These data indicate 1) restricted heterogeneity of human thyroid autoantibodies, principally to IgG1 and IgG4; 2) T cell dependence of only IgG1 secretion in vitro; and 3) a T cell defect in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. The possibility of IgG4 thyroid autoantibodies being under less stringent T cell regulatory control questions the likely importance of thyroid- specific suppressor T cell dysfunction in the etiology of autoimmune thyroid disease.


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Endocr. Rev.Home page
B. S. Prabhakar, R. S. Bahn, and T. J. Smith
Current Perspective on the Pathogenesis of Graves' Disease and Ophthalmopathy
Endocr. Rev., December 1, 2003; 24(6): 802 - 835.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals
Copyright © 1986 by The Endocrine Society