Genetic factors controlling the susceptibility to experimental autoimmune thyroiditis in inbred rat strains.

CDF (high responder) rats were crossed with SHR (low responder) rats to study genetic factors influencing susceptibility to experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT). F1 hybrid rats showed intermediate susceptibility to thyroiditis. Gene segregation patterns of F2 and backcross rats demonstrated that the immune response to rat thyroglobulin (RaTg) is under polygenic control. A main factor controlling immune response to RaTg is associated with the X chromosome. Females of CDF and SHR rats produced higher levels of antibody, suggesting that antibody production to RaTg is a sex-influenced trait. Different genetic control mechanisms are evident in autoantibody production and thyroid lesions. No evidence of linkage of an immune response gene to RaTg to the major histocompatibility complex of the rat (RT1) was observed.