Lymphocyte cytotoxicity induced by preincubation with serum from patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis

Lymphocytes from healthy donors were incubated with serum samples from nine patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis and subsequently shown to be cytotoxic to chicken red blood cells (Ch. RBC) coated with thyroglobulin. Target cell death was estimated using a standard ⁵¹Cr release assay system.

Lymphocytes pre-incubated with Hashimoto serum caused a mean% ⁵¹Cr release of 13·11±2·83 (SEM) from thyroglobulin-coated Ch. RBC and a mean% ⁵¹Cr release of 1·22±0·65 from uncoated Ch. RBC.

Untreated lymphocytes caused no significant isotope release from either uncoated or thyroglobulin coated target cells.