Autoreactive lymphocytes in thyroid disorders. II. Comparison of anti-thyroglobulin antibody production by plaque-forming cell, radio-immunological and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
Blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from 9 randomly selected patients with autoimmune thyroiditis were stimulated in vitro with pokeweed mitogen (PWM), a polyclonal B lymphocyte activator. The secretion of immunoglobulins (Ig) and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) was assayed by means of haemolytic plaque-forming cell (PFC) assays, radio-immune assay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). Total Ig and TgAb production was maximal using MNC cultured at 1.0 X 10(6)/ml as estimated by PFC, RIA and ELISA. The Ig and TgAb production as measured by RIA and ELISA was 1.5 - 3 times higher after 12 days' culture compared to 6 days' culture. Ig and TgAb production measured by PFC-assays at day 6 correlated positively to the results obtained by RIA and ELISA at day 12. PWM-induced TgAb secretion correlated positively to TgAb titres in serum. As judged by PFC, TgAb production was found in 8/9 patients; about 5% (range 0 - 7.9%) of the total PWM-stimulated IgG-secreting cells were involved in TgAb secretion. TgAb production as measured by ELISA and RIA was found in 6/9 patients. By reference to an affinity-purified human TgAb preparation, the TgAb secretion was about 0.7% (range 0 - 21.3%) of the total PWM-induced IgG secretion.
D000917:Antibody Formation; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006462:Hemolytic Plaque Technique; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin