AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS: A CONDITION RELATED TO A DECREASE IN T-SUPPRESSOR CELLS

Abstract

Monoclonal [mouse] 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. 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.