title: T cells and thyroid autoimmunity.
abstract: Autoimmune thyroid disease is the archetype of organ-specific autoimmune disorders and shares with them T cell dependence. The observation that thyroid cells in autoimmune thyroid disease express the major histocompatibility complex molecule HLA-DR led to the hypothesis that they could present antigen and initiate or maintain the autoimmune process. However, functional experiments, and recent evidence indicating that provision of a co-stimulatory signal is also essential for efficient antigen presentation, argue against such a role. The analysis of T cell responses to two major thyroid antigens, thyroid peroxidase and the thyroid stimulating hormone receptor, reveals a heterogeneity both within and between patients, and intrathyroidal T cells show diverse usage of T cell receptor genes. Therefore, any strategy that uses modified peptides, monoclonal antibodies against specific T cell receptor molecules, or T cell vaccination for the purpose of treating thyroid autoimmunity is unlikely to succeed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Sheffield.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tandon
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Weetman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000276:immunology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D001324:Autoantigens; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin