Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune condition in which goitre and
hyperthyroidism are induced by
thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAB) which mimic the action of
thyrotrophin (TSH). The target of the autoimmune response is the
thyrotrophin receptor (TSHR) and, since its cloning, a number of differing approaches have been adopted in an attempt to develop an animal model of GD. Methods in which synthetic
peptides or fragments of the receptor produced in bacteria or insect cells have been injected into animals together with
immunological adjuvants have had only limited success in inducing some of the signs and symptoms of GD. Genetic immunisation resulted in
thyroiditis in the majority, but TSAB formation in only a minority, of treated inbred mice. Transfer of receptor in vitro primed T cells to syngeneic naive recipients, with priming either using a bacterial fusion
protein or genetic immunisation, induced destructive
thyroiditis in non-obese diabetic (NOD) mice but
lymphocytic thyroiditis in BALBc mice. Furthermore, the orbits of 17/22 of the BALBc animals, but not the NOD animals, with
thyroiditis had orbital changes similar to those seen in
thyroid eye disease. TSAB and elevated
thyroxine levels were induced in AKR/N mice injected with fibroblasts expressing the full length human TSHR and murine major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II homologous to the recipient mice. No
thyroiditis was induced but preliminary results from a different group using the same protocol suggest that receptor
autoantibodies and thyroid dysfunction could be transferred using T cells primed in vitro with the receptor and MHC-II expressing cells. The majority of the studies described above have studied inbred mouse strains. In a novel departure, the NMR outbred strain has been treated by genetic immunisation with very promising results, including the induction of increased
thyroxine levels in 4/30 female mice, accompanied by TSAB in addition to
thyroiditis, and with signs of hyperactivity and orbital pathology. This review discusses the various protocols together with the information regarding the pathogenesis of GD which each has contributed, and concludes with an evaluation of how close we are to mimicking this polygenic, multifactorial disease.