The influence of thymectomy on the development of erythrocyte-specific antinuclear factors in obese strain (OS) and normal white leghorn chickens.

In addition to spontaneous autoimmune thyroiditis, chickens of the Obese strain (OS) develop a high incidence of erythrocyte-specific antinuclear factors (EANF). Normal White Leghorn (NWL) chickens also display EANF, although in low frequency and titre. Neonatal thymectomy leads to an increase in both frequency and titre of EANF in OS and NWL birds. While thymectomized OS chickens show the highest titres, those of thymectomized NWL birds are in the same range as in untreated OS chickens. In ovo bursectomy suppresses the development of EANF.