Experimental Allergic Thyroiditis (and Parathyroiditis) in Neonatally Thymectomized and Bursectomized Chickens. Participation of the Thymus in the Development of Disease

Abstract

Experimental allergic thyroiditis can be produced in neonatally bursectomized and control chickens with a single injection of homologous thyroid tissue in complete Freund''s adjuvant. The development of thyroiditis is suppressed in birds thymectomized at hatching. In 3 out of 8 inspected parathyroid glands of immunized chickens aggregates of mononuclear cells resembling auto-allergic lesions are seen in the glandular parenchyma. Evidence is presented favouring the direct participation ot the thymus cells in the development of experimental allergic thyroiditis and parathyroiditis. Incipient signs of the immunological "activation" of the thymus are migration of cells from the thymus to the thyroid through the connective tissue barrier interposed between the 2 organs. In severe thyroiditis masses of thymus cells invade thyroid tissue.