The pathogenetic connection between Graves' disease and chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. (The role and incidence of thyroid stimulating antibodies).

Antibody-positivity to thyroid specific antigens (Htg, microsomal) and/or lymphocytic infiltration of the gland's parenchyma were observed in 207 (55%) of 377 patients with Graves's disease. Only in 48 (12.7%) of the cases were the findings in agreement with the criteria of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. Human thyroid stimulating antibody (HTSab) was detected in 135 (65%) of these 207 patients. In cases of Graves' disease associated with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, this proportion was found to be as high as 89.6% and attained even 100% in cases of Hashitoxicosis (39 patients). The presence of HTSab thus seems to form one of the features of patients with Hashitoxicosis. Infiltrative ophthalmopathy also showed a remarkably high incidence (59%) in this porcess. The typical prevalence of Graves' disease in females in the present material attained a 15:1 female-to-male ratio when the disease was associated with chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis. The results of the present study suggest that chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis associated with Graves' disease promotes the formation of thyroid stimulating antibodies.

Chemotactic response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes to corneal tissue extracts.

The chemotactic response of polymorphonuclear leukocytes of normal subject, to corneal extracts of 0.2 and 0.4 mg/dl protein concentration were studied in blind-well type chemotactic chambers. E. coli endotoxin served for the positive, Rindex-5 fluid for the negative controls. The chemotactic response to corneal tissue extracts, as compared to random migration in the Rindex-5 medium, proved significant. It is suggested that chemotactic factors may be released from corneal grafts in vivo too, in consequence of diverse noxae. These factors are supposed to elicit a granulocytic invasion and to lead to an opacification of the graft as a result of a cellular reaction.

Decrease of concanavalin-A activated and short lived suppressor T cell function in thyrotoxicosis.

Function of short lived and concanavalin-A activated suppressor T cells of peripheral blood was studied in patients with thyrotoxicosis and normal individuals. It was found that the activity of short lived and concanavalin-A activated suppressort T cells decreased in untreated patients. Function of concanavalin-A activated suppressor cells relatively increased in euthyroid stage induced by methimazole treatment but failed to reach the normal level. Both the short lived and Concanavalin-A activated suppressor cell activity proved to be in inverse relationships with titres of anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and transformation indices to human thyroglobulin. These findings suggest a possible role of suppressor T cell function in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in Graves disease.

The antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity of peripheral lymphocytes from patients with Graves disease was tested using chicken erythrocytes coated with rabbit antichicken red blood cell antibody and labelled with 51Cr. An increased cytotoxic activity was found in untreated Graves disease without ophthalmopathy. The cytotoxic activity was less elevated in the groups of patients with severe ophthalmopathy or high level of anti-thyroglobulin antibody, and approximately normal after methimazole treatment.

Inhibition of spontaneous E-rosetting by antithymocyte globulin in Graves disease.

The number of thymus-dependent (T) lymphocytes and the concentrations of antithymocyte-globulin causing 25% inhibition of E-rosetting were determined in 40 cases of Graves disease. No significant difference in T-lymphocyte count was found between the test groups and the control group. An increased resistance of T-lymphocytes to antithymocyte globulin was found in Graves disease, particularly in its form marked by progressive ophthalmopathy. The increase in resistance was significant in the first five years of the disease.

Studies on cartilage formation. XX. Histochemical investigation of some enzymes of glycogen metabolsim in regenerative articular surfaces.

In 28 dogs the distal articular cartilage of the femur was removed and the regenerating articular surface on the 70th postoperative day was studied histochemically for hexokinase, glucose-6-phosphatase, phosphohexose-isomerase, fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase, aldolase, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase isoenzymes, phosphoglucomutase, phosphorylase, glycogen synthetase, UDP--glucose dehydrogenase, and UDP-glucuronic acid-4-epimerase. The articular surface consisted of fibrous tissue and of cartilage islets. The latter contained cells differentiating into cartilage and young chondrocytes. The glycolytic enzymes reacted positively in the regenerative articular surface. Enzyme activities were higher in the cells (particularly the chondroblasts and young chondrocytes) of the cartilage islets than in the connective tissue. In the cells differentiations into cartilage, beside the LDH isoenzymes characteristic of glycolysis, a significant LDH1 and LDH2 activity was observed. At the same site the presence of fructose-1, 6-diphosphatase-activity could be assumed, but there was no glucose-6-phosphatase activity. Glycogen synthesis proceeded in the cells of the cartilage islets and UDP-glucuronic acid-4-epimerase activity was observed in the differentiated cells. UDP-glucose dehydrogenase activity was positive in every section of the articular surface.

Antigenicity of bone tissue. I. Immunological and immunohistochemical study of non-collagenous proteins of the bovine cortical bone.

From powdered bovine bone cortex an extract has been prepared with 0.15 M NaCl and its collagen-free fraction obtained on DEAE-cellulose column was used for the immunization of rabbits. The non-collagenous protein fraction (NCP) produced against immune serum two precipitation arcs both on agarose double gel-diffusion and with immune electrophoresis. After decalcination in 10% EDTA PH 7.4, direct and indirect immune histochemical examinations were performed with fresh, freshly lyophilized, as well as with bones kept for three and six months at 20 degrees C, and the antigens were localized. Prolonged storage increased the antibody-binding capacity of the bones, whereas lyophilization decreased it. Fixation in cold acetone was suited best for immunohistochemical study of the cortical bones.