Lack of detection of retroviral particles (HIAP-1) in the H9 T cell line co-cultured with thyrocytes of Graves' disease

Evidence for a possible aetiopathogenetic role of endogenous and/or exogeno us retroviruses (RVs) in organ- and non-organ-specific autoimmune diseases is circumstantial in both humans and animal models. Intracisternal A type p articles, antigenically related to HIV, have been reported in H9 cells co-c ultured with homogenates of salivary glands obtained from patients with Sjo gren syndrome and with synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis . In order to identify a possible transfer of a putative 'infective RV agen t' involved in the pathogenesis of human thyroid autoimmune disease, the H9 T cell line was co-cultured not only with thyroid homogenates, but also wi th viable thyrocytes, both prepared from glands of patients with Graves' di sease. At the end of a prolonged co-culture period (24 weeks), no RV partic les could be detected by electron microscopy in the H9 cells co-cultured wi th both thyroid preparations. These data seem to exclude the involvement of HIAP-1 in the aetiopathogenesis of human autoimmune thyroid disease. (C) 2 001 Academic Press.