CD4 and Autoimmunity: Flow cytometry analysis of orbital draining lymph node revealed that CD4+ lymphocyte numbers remained unaffected (Fig. 6a), whilst CD4+CD25+ (regulatory T cells; Tregs) numbers were significantly lowered in vancomycin-treated TSHR- and βgal-immunized mice (Fig. 6b) suggesting lower autoimmunity incidence and disease severity that we observed in this group is not necessarily regulated by local mechanisms.