Association between H-2 antigens and thyroglobulin influences the immunogenicity of thyroglobulin in mice

To ascertain the role of H-2 in the immunogenicity of thyroglobulin, congenic strains of mice, B10.BR (H-2k, high-responder) and B10.D2 (H-2d, low-responder) were immunized with purified thyroglobulin (from B10.BR and B10.D2) which was or was not passed through affinity columns of Sepharose coupled to anti-H-2k or anti-H-2d sera. Thyroglobulin absorbed with the same anti-H-2 as its source did not induce thyroglobulin antibodies or thyroid infiltrates in mice of the same strain and induced thyroid lesions but no antibodies in mice of the opposite strain. These experiments suggest that thyroglobulin, an autoantigen, is associated with syngeneic histocompatibility antigens in vivo and this association is important for the (auto) antigenicity of thyroglobulin.