Susceptibility of inbred rat strains to experimental thyroiditis: quantitation of thyroglobulin-binding cells and assessment of T-cell function in susceptible and non-susceptible strains.

Ten inbred strains of rats were immunized with crude homologous thyroglobulin emulsified in Freund's complete adjuvant in order to investigate strain susceptibility to the induction of both thyroiditis and antibody to thyroglobulin. Two strains (LH and AUG) were found to be extremely susceptible and had 100% incidence of thyroid lesions which in general varied from moderate to very severe (mean index of pathology+/-SE, 2-5+/-0-2 and 2-1+/-0-4 respectively). One other strain (HL) also had 100% incidence of lesions but there were consistently mild in character (1-1+/-0-1). Two strains (DA and SD) were variable, with thyroid change varying from negative to severe. Three strains (LEW, WAG and PVG/c) had occasional lesions and the remaining two strains (AS and CAM) showed no thyroid change. Four strains (LH, AUG, HL and DA) consistently produced good antibody responses to thyroglobulin (mean titres+/-SE 7-3+/-0-3, 9-5+/-0-4, 6-9+/-0-3 and 6-6+/-0-5 respectively). In contrast WAG and CAM rats failed to develop autoantibody and the responses of AS, PVG/c and SD strain rats were quite variable. Although the autoantibody response generally correlated well with the presence of thyroiditis in a particular strain, LEW, AS and PVG/c rats often had good antibody levels with minimal thyroid lesions. Females of the most susceptible strains (LH and AUG) were found to have significantly more severe thyroid lesions and higher antibody titres to thyroglobulin than males. The most susceptible strains were all found to be of the Ag-B5 major histocompatibility genotype whilst the least susceptible were of the Ag-B2 genotype. However, wide interstrain variability was noted within the Ag-B5 genotype particularly with respect to the induction and extent of thyroid lesions. It was not found possible to relate the divergence in susceptibility between rat strains of Ag-B5 and Ag-B2 genotypes to differences in respective numbers of thyroglobulin-binding cells within the circulation of the non-immunized animal. Similarly, there were no differences in response between a susceptible (LH) and non-susceptible (CAM) strain to the phytomitogens PHA and Con A.