title: Antigen presentation in human autoimmune thyroid disease.
abstract: Monocyte/macrophage function in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis was investigated by their presentation of two distinct antigens; sheep red blood cells (SRBC) and human thyroglobulin (hTg) using in vitro systems designed for antibody induction. Purified peripheral blood monocyte/macrophages were primed by prefeeding with antigen for 60 min at 37 degrees C, washed, and co-cultured with autologous lymphocytes under a variety of incubation conditions. The most successful system employed 5% monocyte/macrophages with autologous T-B cells in the presence of the mitogen Staphylococcus aureus and B-cell differentiating factors. Under such conditions the anti-SRBC plaque-forming cell (PFC) response was amplified equally (approximately 10-fold) by SRBC-fed monocyte/macrophages in normal controls and patients with autoimmune thyroiditis rendered euthyroid with thyroxine replacement. hTg-fed monocyte/macrophages induced a 4-fold increase in anti-hTg PFC in selected patients with autoimmune thyroiditis examined under similar conditions (mean 36 +/- 3 PFC per 10(6) T-B cells). These data indicated that antigen processing by monocyte/macrophages was normal in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000939:Epitopes; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000939:Epitopes; D013954:Thyroglobulin