Abstract
This study analyzes the outcome of human normal and hyperfunctioning thyroid tissue transplanted to the nude mouse. Thyroid fragments from 7 patients with Graves' disease were transplanted to nude mice (nu/nu). Before surgery, the patients had been treated with propranolol and iodine; none had received antithyroid therapy. The transplants were removed on the 12th day following transplantation and were studied by light microscopy and autohistoradiography. At this time, all immunologic disorders found on the operative samples had disappeared, and the tissue had lost its hyperfunctioning characteristics. In contrast, transplants from toxic adenoma remained hyperfunctioning, with elevated serum T3 and T4 levels. Similarly, transplants from normal thyroid tissue remained unchanged, and serum T3 and T4 levels remained within the normal range, as if under the influence of the hypothalamic and pituitary regulation of the mice. These findings emphasize the role of the extrathyroid immunologic environment in the regulation of Graves' disease, whereas toxic adenoma remains autonomous.
Full text
PDF
Images in this article
Selected References
These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.
- Bene M. C., Derennes V., Faure G., Thomas J. L., Duheille J., Leclere J. Graves' disease: in situ localization of lymphoid T cell subpopulations. Clin Exp Immunol. 1983 May;52(2):311–316. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Herberman R. B., Nunn M. E., Lavrin D. H. Natural cytotoxic reactivity of mouse lymphoid cells against syngeneic acid allogeneic tumors. I. Distribution of reactivity and specificity. Int J Cancer. 1975 Aug 15;16(2):216–229. doi: 10.1002/ijc.2910160204. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Raff M. C., Wortis H. H. Thymus dependence of theta-bearing cells in the peripheral lymphoid tissues of mice. Immunology. 1970 Jun;18(6):931–942. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Smeds S., Anderberg B., Boeryd B., Ericson L. E., Gillquist J., Persliden J. The nude mouse. A possible experimental model for investigation of human thyroid tissue. J Endocrinol Invest. 1981 Jan-Mar;4(1):11–15. doi: 10.1007/BF03349407. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
- Wenisch H. J., Encke A., Schumm P. M., Usadel K. H., Fortmeyer H. P. Establishment and passage of human malignant thyroid tumour xenografts in athymic nude mice. Naturwissenschaften. 1983 Feb;70(2):96–97. doi: 10.1007/BF00365513. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]