Cellular and humoral immunity to adrenal antigens in patients with idiopathic Addison's disease.

Cell-mediated immunity to various adrenal antigen preparations--crude extract, mitochondria and microsomes--has been investigated by means of the migration inhibition of mononuclear cells in 19 patients with established diagnosis of idiopathic Addison's disease (IAD), in 1 patient with suspected Addison's disease and in 20 controls. Adrenal antibodies were determined by immunofluorescence technique. In 13 of the IAD patients significant migration inhibition (MI) could be observed with mitochondria and in 12 patients with crude extract. In addition, MI, although less pronounced, could be detected with microsomes in 12 IAD patients. In one of the controls slight inhibition was observed with all the antigens used and in another stimulation of lymphocyte migration with crude extract could be observed. Adrenal antibodies were detected in 11 of the patients investigated. No correlation could be found between duration of the disease and humoral or cellular immune reactions to adrenal antigens.