When backcrossed in a NOD.H-2h4 background, the mice overexpressing IFN-γ in the thyrocytes failed to develop spontaneous thyroiditis, but instead showed a milder thyroidal inflammation and decreased frequency of activated CD44+ lymphocytes in cervical lymph nodes upon immunization with murine thyroglobulin and Freund's adjuvant [22]. Here, CD44 is linked to thyroiditis.