The effect of bursectomy, thymectomy and x-irradiation on the incidence of precipitating liver and kidney auto-antibodies in chickens of the obese strain (OS).

The Obese strain of White Leghorn chickens is afflicted with a spontaneously occurring autoimmune thyroiditis. Thyroglobulin auto-antibodies predominate in the sera of Obese strain chickens, but precipitating auto-antibodies against components of other organs—mainly liver and kidney—also occur in a low percentage, either in combination with or in the absence of thyroglobulin antibodies. Surgical bursectomy in ovo or on the day of hatching completely prevents the formation of precipitating non-thyroid antibodies in the Obese strain chickens. On the other hand, neonatal thymectomy results in a significant increase in the incidence of liver and kidney antibodies in Obese strain, and even in normal White Leghorn chickens. Thymo-bursectomy on the day of hatching has an effect similar to that of bursectomy alone, i.e. prevents the appearance of liver and kidney antibodies. Neonatal, sublethal total body X-irradiation also leads to a slightly lower frequency of liver and kidney antibodies in Obese strain chickens. A possible control function of the intact thymus over the self-recognition mechanism is discussed.