Cytotoxic lymphocytes in Hashimoto thyroiditis. An in vitro assay system using 51 Cr-labelled chicken red blood cells coated with thyroglobulin.

An in vitro method is described to detect lymphocytes in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis that are cytotoxic to thyroglobulin-coated chicken red blood cells. Using this technique, the cytotoxic index of lymphocytes from patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis was 25·46±3·81 (SEM), which is significantly different from that obtained with lymphocytes from control subjects, 6·28±0·80.