Perpetuation of autoimmune thyroiditis and production of secondary renal lesions following periodic injections of aqueous preparations of altered thyroglobulin.

Periodic injections of aqueous preparations of thyroglobulin coupled to the diazonium derivatives of arsanilic and sulphanilic acids (arsanil–sulphanil thyroglobulin) resulted in perpetuation of both the synthesis of circulating antibody to native thyroglobulin and thyroiditis. Two months after the last injection, the rabbits made a strong immune response to a subsequent injection of native thyroglobulin. Without the periodic injections both circulating antibody and thyroid lesions disappeared and the ability to respond to native thyroglobulin was lost. The level of circulating antibody and the incidence and severity of lesions were considerably greater in rabbits receiving periodic injections over a 6-month period of time than in rabbits given a series of injections during a period of 1 month. The relation of these findings to the progressive nature of some autoimmune diseases is discussed. Complex-induced renal injury, secondary to the immune response to arsanil–sulphanil thyroglobulin, was observed in the rabbits given the periodic injections over a 6-month period of time. Chronic glomerulonephritis apparently resulted from deposition of thyroglobulin–anti-thyroglobulin complexes and complement along the glomerular basement membranes.