Lack of T-Cell Immune Abnormalities in Peripheral Blood Lymphocytes in Patients with Graves' Disease or Hypothyroidism

Abstract

Lymphocytes capable of forming nonimmune (E) and immune (EAC) rosettes with sheep erythrocytes and lymphocyte reactivity to phytohemagglutinin were determined in normal subjects, in patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease and in patients with hypothyroidism with and without goiter. Neither patient group differed from the normal subjects either in regard to lymphocyte count, the proportion of thymus dependent (t) lymphocytes forming nonimmune or bone marrow-dependnet (B) lymphocytes forming immune rosettes or lymphocyte reactivity to phytohemagglutinin. These results fail to provide evidence that these disorders are associated with an immune abnormality with increased or abnormal T cells in peripheral blood.