The remarkable proliferation of helper T cell subset in response to autologous thyrocytes and intrathyroidal T cells from patients with Graves' disease.
We have studied cellular interactions among thyrocytes, intrathyroidal T cells and peripheral blood T cells from Graves' patients. In the autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction of Graves' patients, CD4+ cells were able to proliferate vigorously against autologous non-T cells, whereas CD8+ cells responded weakly to non-T cell stimulators. Furthermore, the proliferative response of the CD4+ 2H4+ suppressor-inducer T cell subset was increased like that of the CD4+ 2H4- helper T cell subset. In contrast to peripheral blood non-T cell stimulators, thyrocytes and intrathyroidal T cells had the ability to activate the CD4+ 2H4- helper T cell subset but were not able to cause proliferation both of CD4+ 2H4+ suppressor-inducer T cell and CD8+ suppressor/cytotoxic T cell subsets. The marked reduction in proliferative responses of CD4+ 2H4+ cells and CD8+ cells could not be attributed to a difference in kinetics or altered response to variable number of stimulator cells. On the basis of these findings, it is suggested that the concentration of the helper T cell subset may be progressively increased and suppressor circuits may be unable to be activated in thyroid tissues. These abnormalities in cellular interactions may induce the excessive production of autoantibodies.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002455:Cell Division; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007700:Kinetics; D007959:Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; D008297:Male; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology*; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*