The OS and the related Cornell C strain are interesting animal models for the study
of the etiology of autoimmune thyroiditis. They are especially valuable for studying
the etiologic role of thyroid abnormalities and abnormalities in the processing of
iodine. Limitations of the model are the scarcity of immunological reagents for chickens,
the absence of avian cloned thyroid-specific genes, minimal amounts of microsomal
antibody and some differences between OS chickens and Hashimoto's patients in the
types of thyroid abnormalities observed.
Chickens - thyroid metabolic defects - autoimmune thyroiditis
