King K J, Hagan R P, Mieno M, McCullagh P
John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra, 2601, Australia.
Clin Immunol Immunopathol. 1998 Jul;88(1):56-64. doi: 10.1006/clin.1998.4522.
Anti-thyroid autoimmune responses have been examined in fetal lambs, the immune systems of which had matured in the absence of exposure to thyroid-specific antigens. The lymphocytic infiltrate in self-thyroid tissue reintroduced into autoimmune lambs showed well-differentiated B and T cell domains. However, T cells from these fetuses were not sensitized against ovine thyroglobulin nor did serum antibodies appear against ovine thyroglobulin or thyroid peroxidase. In the light of these observations, it is inferred that the primary abnormality in the immune systems of fetuses deprived of exposure to thyroid autoantigens is likely to be a failure of the development of a normal T cell subpopulation responsible for down-regulation of autoreactivity. It is also concluded that overt autoimmunity develops only when these fetuses are challenged with thyroid tissue and that B cells may undertake an antigen-presentation role in its induction.
在未接触甲状腺特异性抗原的情况下免疫系统已成熟的胎羊中，研究了抗甲状腺自身免疫反应。重新植入自身免疫性羔羊体内的自体甲状腺组织中的淋巴细胞浸润显示出分化良好的B细胞和T细胞区域。然而，这些胎儿的T细胞对绵羊甲状腺球蛋白不敏感，血清中也未出现针对绵羊甲状腺球蛋白或甲状腺过氧化物酶的抗体。根据这些观察结果，可以推断，未接触甲状腺自身抗原的胎儿免疫系统的主要异常可能是负责下调自身反应性的正常T细胞亚群发育失败。还得出结论，只有当这些胎儿受到甲状腺组织攻击时才会发生明显的自身免疫，并且B细胞可能在其诱导过程中发挥抗原呈递作用。
