Open AccessIntrathyroidal cytokine gene expression in Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Author(s) -
AJJAN R. A.,
WATSON P. F.,
MCINTOSH R. S.,
WEETMAN A. P.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1996.d01-784.x
Subject(s) - cytokine , immunology , cd8 , thyroiditis , autoimmunity , biology , cytotoxic t cell , autoantibody , thyroid , immune system , endocrinology , antibody , in vitro , biochemistry
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is an organ‐specific autoimmune disease in which cytokines are likely to have a role in the initiation and perpetuation of the disease. Using the reverse transcription‐polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) we analysed the cytokine profile in four HT tissue samples. Furthermore, cell fractionation was carried out on two tissue samples and cytokine profile was studied in CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, in addition to the residual cellular infiltrate composed of CD4 − and CD8 − cells. Our results showed IL‐1β, IL‐4 and IL‐6 mRNA expression in three out of four tissue samples, whereas IL‐1α, IL‐2, IL‐8, IL‐10, interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ) and tumour necrosis factor‐alpha (TNF‐α) were expressed in all tissue samples studied. Expression of IL‐1α and IL‐1β was absent in both CD4 + and CD8 + subsets. However, IL‐2, IL‐4, IL‐6, IL‐8, IFN‐γ and TNF‐α mRNA were detected in both CD4 + and CD8 + subsets. IL‐10 was expressed in the CD4 + subset in one sample, whereas it was negative in both CD8 + fractions. All the cytokines studied were expressed in the residual infiltrate. These results suggest a mixed Th1 and Th2 response in HT, both of which may have an important role in the pathophysiology of the thyroid destructive process through cell‐mediated cytotoxicity, and/or humoral autoimmunity manifested by autoantibody production.