Effect of guinea pig thyroglobulin in incomplete Freund's adjuvant on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis induced by in vitro-activated lymph node cells.

Guinea pigs injected with guinea pig thyroglobulin (GPTG) in incomplete Freund's adjuvant (IFA) have been shown to be unresponsive to challenge with GPTG in complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA). However, effector cells which transfer experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) can be demonstrated in cultured lymph node cells (LNC) of unresponsive animals, indicating that GPTG in IFA does not suppress the initial sensitization of EAT effector cells. LNC from unresponsive animals were unable to suppress the in vitro activation of effector LNC or to suppress EAT when cotransferred with effector cells. When GPTG in IFA was given to animals which were used as recipients of effector cells, the production of EAT was markedly suppressed. These results suggest that GPTG in IFA can suppress EAT either by preventing effector cells from interacting with the thyroid or by interfering with the function of a cell in the normal recipient which may interact with effector cells to result in the lesions of EAT.