Influence of immunomodulators, niridazole and levamisole, on autoimmune murine thyroiditis.

The pathogenesis of murine autoimmune thyroiditis, induced in mice by immunization with mouse thyroglobulin emulsified in Freund's complete adjuvant, is unclear. To investigate the role of cell-mediated immunity in the murine thyroiditis, niridazole (100 mg/kg) and levamisole (12.5 mg/kg) were administered in mice before or after the antigenic challenge. Niridazole decreased the severity of thyroid infiltrates when started before the antigenic challenge. A similar inhibitory effect was observed after administration of levamisole. These findings are consistent with the possibility of a direct involvement of T-lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of autoimmune murine thyroiditis.