Histocompatibility antigens in Graves' disease.

Histocompatibility antigen typing was undertaken in 100 Caucasian patients with Graves' disease (autoimmune thyrotoxicosis) and in 100 healthy Caucasian blood donors. Standard lymphocyte microcytotoxicity methods were used to tests for the presence of 22 HL-A antigens in all subjects. There was a significant difference between the groups in respect of the HL-A 8 antigen which was present in 40 patients and in 25 controls (P less than 0-0023). There was no significant difference between the patients and controls with respect to the frequency of occurrence of any of the other HL-A antigens tested.