Production of human antithyroglobulin in vitro: II. Regulation by T cells

Abstract B cells from patients whose serum contained antithyroglobulin (anti-Tg) were stimulated to produce antithyroglobulin in vitro . The help and suppressive effects of patient and normal T cells on anti-Tg formation were compared. Both T-helper and T-suppressive activity were noted and the activities were similar in patients and normals. The synthesis of IgG by patient B cells was also similarly affected by patient and normal T cells. These observations suggest that the abnormality in immunoregulation responsible for autoantibody production is likely to be found in cells not possessing the characteristics of T cells.