Reaction of human smooth muscle antibody with thyroid cells.

Sera from cases of active chronic hepatitis or acute hepatitis containing smooth muscle antibodies reacted by immunofluorescence with the membrane region of sectioned thyroid cells from thyrotoxic glands. With non-toxic glands the reaction was negative or weak. The prerequisite for a positive reaction was that the complement of the sera had been heat-inactivated. Absorption with smooth muscle antigen abolished the reaction of smooth muscle antibody positive sera with thyroid cells. Some smooth muscle antibody negative sera from cases with disorders other than liver disease were found to give a similar immunofluorescence staining of the membrane region of sectioned thyroid cells, but these antibodies were not absorbed with smooth muscle antigen. Culture of thyroid cells was found to increase the number of cells reacting with smooth muscle antibody. In contrast, the thyroid cell antigen reacting with smooth muscle antibody negative sera was lost during culture.