[T-cells in thyroid disease (author's transl)]

Thymus-derived peripheral blood lymphocytes were studied in untreated (n = 18), methimazole-treated (n = 28) thyrotoxicosis, after radioiodine (n = 14), in Hashimoto thyroiditis (n = 7) and in euthyroid goiter (n = 7). The results were compared with normal persons (n = 40) without thyroid disease. There was no significant difference in the total and relative counts of T-cells either between the different groups nor compared with the controls. These findings confirm that T-cells in peripheral blood cannot give any information about activity or prognosis of the various thyroid diseases. Thus T-cells give no further suggestion concerning the possible pathogenetic role of cell-mediated-immunity.