Presence of the organ-specific 'microsomal' autoantigen on the surface of human thyroid cells in culture: its involvement in complement-mediated cytotoxicity.

The presence of organ-specific cell surface-reactive antibodies in sera of patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATD) has been detected by indirect immunofluorescence on viable blood group O normal thyroid cultures. The cell surface determinants involved in this reaction have been identified as the thyroid 'microsomal' antigen which is thus also represented on the outer surface of the plasma membrane. The reactivity persists when F(ab')2 fragments from positive sera are used. Non-thyroid cells present in the monolayers, as well as human adrenal or fibroblast cultures, do not show positive staining. Human thyroid cells progressively lose both cell surface and intracytoplasmic antigenic components during the first week of culture. The exposure and reactivity of this antigen on the cell surface do not depend upon unmasking effects of proteolytic enzymes used for dispersal of the cells. The 'microsomal' antigen on the cell surface is also involved in the complement-mediated cytotoxic effect of sera from ATD patients on freshly dispersed thyroid cells. Thyroglobulin antibodies failed to stain viable thyroid monolayers, even when these were previously incubated with purified human thyroglobulin, indicating that this protein or possible receptors for it cannot be detected on the cell surface under these conditions. Similarly, some thyrotoxicosis sera containing thyroid-stimulating but not microsomal antibodies, gave negative reactions on viable cultures.