Anti-adrenal cellular hypersensitivity in Addison's disease. 3. Species-specificity and subcellular localization of the antigen.

In previous studies the existence of anti-adrenal, cellular hypersensitivity in idiopathic Addison's disease was demonstrated by means of the leucocyte migration test. The antigenic activity of variously derived adrenocortical material was examined to evaluate the species-specificity of the reactivity and determine the subcellular localization of the antigen. As with extract of foetal, human adrenals it could be demonstrated that extracts of adult human benign-hyperplastic adrenals, of pig adrenals and of monkey adrenals possessed the capacity to induce an inhibition of the migration of leucocytes from patients with idiopathic Addison's disease. A similar reactivity was not seen with extracts of adrenocortical adenoma or adrenocortical carcinomas in parallel experiments. Out of the various subcellular fractions isolated from adult human benign-hyperplastic adrenals only the mitochondrial fraction was able to induce migration inhibition, indicating that the anti-adrenal cellular and the anti-adrenal humoral hypersensitivity in idiopathic Addison's disease are probably directed against different antigenic determinants at the subcellular level.