Predisposition to organ-specific autoimmunity in Obese strain (OS) chickens: reactivity to thyroid, gastric, adrenal and pancreatic cytoplasmic antigens.
In addition to thyroglobulin autoantibodies, some Obese strain (OS) chickens gave organ-specific reactions with the cytoplasm of thyroid acinar cells when the sera were tested by immunofluorescence. The staining pattern was similar to that seen with human antibodies to thyroid microsomes. A proportion stained the proventricular glands of the chicken stomach in a manner indistinguishable from that of pernicious anaemia sera containing parietal cell antibodies. Isolated examples of organ-specific reactions with adrenal and exocrine pancreas were also recorded. These findings strengthen the notion that the OS chicken represents an authentic model for human organ-specific autoimmune disease. The high incidence of non-organ specific reactions complicates but does not necessarily invalidate this view since normal chickens show a propensity to develop such antibodies. However the OS chicken appears to differ from the human in being hyper-responsive to antigens in general.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D002645:Chickens; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010179:Pancreas / Q000276:immunology; D013270:Stomach / Q000276:immunology; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000276:immunology*
D000941:Antigens; D001323:Autoantibodies; D013954:Thyroglobulin