الفهرس 
INTRODUCTIONOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The effect of treatment on thyroid antibody production and T cell reactivity to thyroid antigens was studied in 19 patients with AITD before and after thyroidectomy, 19 patients with GD before and after RAI therapy, 9 patients maintained euthyroid on antithyroid drugs (ATD) and 12 patients with CNG before and after lobectomy or partial thyroidectomy. Twenty subjects matched for age and sex without known thyroid disease served as controls. In AITD patients and patients with CNG, the responses of PBMC and TSHR-specific T cell lines to recombinant human TSHR extracellular domain (rec h TSHR-BCD), thyroglobulin (Tg) and TSHR peptides were examined at the day of surgery or RAI therapy (day 0) and also 6-8 weeks and 3-6 months thereafter. Reactivity to TSHR peptides before surgery was heterogeneous and spanned the entire BCD. 6-8 weeks after subtotal thyroidectomy, the number of patients PBMC responding to any peptide and the average number of recognized peptides decreased. a further decrease in the T cell reactivity to TSHR peptides was observed 3-6 months after surgery. Responses of PBMC from Graves’ patients prior to RAI therapy were less than in the pre-surgical group. At 6-8 weeks after RAJ therapy, the number of patients responding to any peptide and the average number of recognized peptides increased. 3-6 months after RAI, T cell responses to TSHR peptides were less than at 6-8 weeks after RAI therapy but still higher than the values at day O. Responses of PBMC from patients with GD, maintained euthyroid on ATD, were lower than those before surgery or RAI therapy. In CNG patients, T cell reactivity was restricted to rec h TSHR-BCD and one peptide. T cell responses to thyroid . antigens was lost after thyroidectomy. Reactivity of T celllines in different groups reflected a pattern similar to PBMC following treatment. TSHR antibody (TSAb) and microsomal antibody (McAb) levels decreased after surgery but increased