Reconstitution of severe combined immunodeficient mice with intrathyroidal lymphocytes of thyroid xenografts from patients with hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Thyroid tissues from patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) have been xenografted to both severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mice and nude mice to study the intrathyroidal lymphocytes which were expected to migrate from the xenografts in the SCID mice. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from HT, Graves' disease, and normal donors have also been separately engrafted. SCID mice, but not nude mice with HT thyroid grafts produce human immunoglobulins. More immunoglobulin G (IgG), but less IgM and IgA is produced in SCID mice with HT thyroid grafts (SCID-TH), compared to SCID mice injected with peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with HT or normal donors (SCID-PB), suggesting that different B cell subpopulations were active in the SCID-PB vs. SCID-TH. Production of IgG by SCID-PB and SCID-TH was maintained 6 weeks after engraftment, and decreased thereafter. SCID mice but not nude mice grafted with HT thyroid tissue produce antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroperoxidase. Lymphocytes with...