T-cell receptor V gene use in autoimmune thyroid disease: direct assessment by thyroid aspiration.

We have examined the hTcR V gene family use of T-cells present in the aspiration thyroid biopsy specimens of patients with hyperthyroid Graves' disease (n = 8) and Hashimoto's autoimmune thyroiditis (n = 5). Nine of the 13 specimens had cytologically identified thyroid follicular cells, and 12 of the 13 contained human thyroglobulin-specific mRNA, confirming successful sampling. Of 18 hTcR V alpha and 19 hTCR V beta gene families tested for in the individual aspirates, a mean +/- SEM of 6.8 +/- 0.9 V alpha and 9.6 +/- 1.4 V beta gene families were present in the Graves' aspirates, while 12.2 +/- 1.7 and 16.8 +/- 0.4 V alpha and V beta gene families were present in the aspirates of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis. These samples, which offer a window onto the natural history of autoimmune thyroid disease, demonstrate significant hTcR V alpha and beta gene restriction in hyperthyroid Graves' disease, but much less restriction of both V alpha and V beta gene families in Hashimoto's disease. Such data extend our earlier information based only on examination of highly selected surgical specimens of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease to the much more typical patient. We conclude that hTcR V gene restriction of varying degrees is present in the majority of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease, but appears to be more easily detected in Graves', rather that Hashimoto's, disease.