Abstract
The main challenge in the "post-GWAS" era is to determine the functional meaning of genetic variants and their contribution to disease pathogenesis. Development of suitable mouse models is critical because disease susceptibility is triggered by complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental factors that cannot be modeled by in vitro models. Thyroglobulin (TG) is a key gene for autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and several single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TG coding region have been associated with AITD. The classical model of experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT), based on immunization of genetically susceptible mouse strains with purified TG protein in adjuvant, does not allow testing the impact of TG sequence variants on the development of autoimmune thyroiditis. Here we describe a protocol for the induction of EAT by immunization of mice susceptible to thyroiditis with an adenovirus vector carrying full-length human TG cDNA (Ad-TG EAT). We also provide support protocols for evaluation of autoimmune thyroiditis including serological assessment of TG antibodies, in vitro splenocyte proliferation assay and cytokines secretion, thyroid histology, and evaluation of thyroid lymphocytic infiltration by immunostaining. This protocol for EAT induction allows manipulation of the TG cDNA to introduce variants associated with AITD, enabling the testing of the functional effects of susceptible variants and their haplotypes on the immunogenicity of TG. Furthermore, the Ad-TG EAT mouse model is a valuable model for studying the interactions of the TG variants with non-genetic factors influencing AITD development (e.g., cytokines, iodine exposure) or with variants of other susceptible genes (e.g., HLA-DRβ1). © 2024 Wiley Periodicals LLC. Basic Protocol: Development of a mouse model of autoimmune thyroiditis induced by immunization with adenovirus containing full-length thyroglobulin cDNA Support Protocol 1: Splenocytes isolation Support Protocol 2: T cell stimulation and carboxyfluorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester (CFSE) based cell proliferation assay Support Protocol 3: Cytokine assays: measuring levels of interferon gamma (IFNγ) and interleukins IL-2, IL-4, and IL-10 in splenocyte supernatants Support Protocol 4: Evaluating thyroid histology and infiltration with immune cells: hematoxylin-eosin staining of mice thyroid glands Support Protocol 5: Immunohistochemistry of thyroid tissues: Immunofluorescence protocol of paraffin-embedded thyroid sections Support Protocol 6: Anti-thyroglobulin antibody measurement in mice sera by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).