Summary
T-T cell interactions are known to be of importance in the generation of immune responses
and have been postulated to play a role in autoimmunity. Antiergotypic T lymphocytes
are cells, which react with other activated T cells, which they may consecutively
neutralize. Antiergotypic T cells have been described to play a role in animal models
of autoimmunity and have been found in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. It was
the aim of the present study to analyse, whether antiergotypic T cells were also present
in the blood of patients with endocrine autoimmunity and to characterize them in vitro.
We found that peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with Graves' disease,
Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Diabetes mellitus show a pronounced proliferative response,
when stimulated with autologous T cell lines. This response is dependent on the state
of activation of the stimulator cell population, but is independent of its phenotype
and is not MHC restricted. In contrast to normal control cells PBMC from patients
with endocrine autoimmune disorders respond better to autologous T lymphocytes, than
to allogeneic T cells and to autologous E- monocytic cells. T cells responsive to activated autologous T cell lines can also
be expanded from PBMC. They may be CD4+ or CD8+ and recognize autologous T cells in the presence of autologous PBMC as feeder cells.
These results suggest the presence of a T-T cell network in patients with endocrine
autoimmune disease, which may have an important regulatory role in the disease process.
Key words
Endocrine Autoimmunity - Graves' Disease - T Lymphocytes - T Cell Activation - Autoreactivity
