Significance of the recognition of certain antigenic regions on the human thyroglobulin molecule by natural autoantibodies from healthy subjects.

We have evaluated the epitope specificity of natural antihuman thyroglobulin (hTg) autoantibodies (aAb) in the plasma of healthy individuals. By an indirect ELISA technique, we selected 56 plasma samples with high anti-hTg antibody activity and used the IgG fraction isolated from these plasma to study the antigenic domains on the hTg molecule recognized by the natural anti-hTg aAb. A panel of 15 mAb, coupled to alkaline phosphatase and recognizing six regions (I to VI) on the hTg molecule, served to identify the domains recognized by the natural anti-hTg aAb using a competitive ELISA procedure. A total of 26 of the IgG fractions was found to interact with at least one of the regions defined by our battery of mAb. Region V was recognized by the majority of the IgG fractions. Interestingly, region II was rarely recognized by the same IgG fraction that reacted with region V. Inasmuch as we have previously shown that region II is mainly recognized by aAb in the serum of subjects with various thyroid disorders, we propose that recognition of region V reflects the normal physiologic state of the immune system with respect to the hTg molecule.