Regulation of experimental allergic thyroiditis.

The susceptibility to experimental allergic thyroiditis (EAT) of rats that had previously been immunized against thyroglobulin was examined. Challenge with thyroglobulin 5 weeks previously conferred strong resistance to the induction of EAT after exposure to a sensitization protocol that was otherwise highly effective. Resistance to induction of EAT could also be conferred by the inoculation of spleen cells from thyroglobulin-sensitized donors on the day of birth. Heavily irradiated spleen cells from sensitized donors were able to confer resistance on neonatal recipients, indicating that prolonged survival of the transferred cells was not required.