Regulation of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis: influence of non-H-2 genes.

Experiments were conducted to investigate the non-H-2 genetic effects on experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT). Strains having C3H or BALB background in general produced higher autoimmune responses to mouse thyroglobulin (MTg) than the B10 or A strains. Comparisons of C3H and B10 congenic strains carrying similar H-2 haplotypes demonstrated that the C3H congenics had significantly higher MTg antibody titres and more severe thyroid damage, even when the strains carry the low responder H-2 haplotypes. These observations show that non-H-2 gene(s) influences EAT, in addition to genes in the MHC.