Binding of thyroid microsomes by lymphocytes from patients with thyroid disease and normal subjects

Lymphocytes that could bind 125I-labelled thyroid microsomal membranes (ABL) were present in the peripheral blood of patients with various types of thyroid disease as well as in normal healthy subjects. In patients with anti-thyroid cytoplasmic antibodies the number of ABL was about three times normal (11-21 +/- 0-60 compared with 3-26 +/- 0-18 per 10(4) lymphocytes). In contrast, in patients with thyroid disease without anti-thyroid cytoplasmic antibodies, the number of antigen-binding lymphocytes was not significantly greater than in the normal controls (3-94 +/- 0.14 per 10(4) lymphocytes). The binding of thyroid microsomes by antigen-binding lymphocytes could be blocked by thyroid microsomes but not by thyroid mitochondrial membranes, thyroglobulin or liver microsomes.