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AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS: A CONDITION RELATED TO A DECREASE IN T‐SUPPRESSOR CELLS
Author(s) -
THIELEMANS C.,
VANHAELST L.,
WAELE M.,
JONCKHEER M.,
CAMP B.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
clinical endocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.055
H-Index - 147
eISSN - 1365-2265
pISSN - 0300-0664
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1981.tb00664.x
Subject(s) - autoimmune thyroiditis , suppressor , thyroiditis , immune system , monoclonal antibody , immunology , immunofluorescence , autoimmune disease , medicine , antigen , t lymphocyte , indirect immunofluorescence , endocrinology , antibody , thyroid , cancer
SUMMARY Monoclonal antibodies recognizing specific antigenic determinants of peripheral T‐lymphocytes (OKT3PAN), helper T‐cells (OKT4IND) and suppressor T‐cells (OKT8SUP) were used to study the immune regulation in autoimmune thyroiditis. An indirect immunofluorescence microscopy method was employed to quantify the number of different subtypes. In addition, B‐lymphocytes were also studied using a fluorescent surface Ig detection technique. Patients with autoimmune thyroiditis—independent of their clinical status—show a decrease in the number of suppressor T‐lymphocytes. This finding, in agreement with other functional tests, indicates that the autoimmune phenomenon is linked to a decreased T‐suppressor activity.