TSH-receptor and adhesion molecules in autoimmune thyroid disease.
Using a human TSH receptor (TSH-R) cDNA probe we investigated TSH-R expression levels in 20 human thyroid fragments by Northern blot analysis: 14 Graves' disease, 2 Hashimoto's disease, 3 endemic goiter and 1 healthy thyroid gland. TSH-R expression was low in those thyroids where expression of the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC I), class II (MHC II) and intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) was high, whereas expression of the endothelial leukocyte adhesion molecule 1 (ELAM-1) bore no relation to TSH-R expression. In situ hybridization showed that next to lymphocytes (MHC II), thyroid cells (MHC II, ICAM-1) and endothelial cells (ICAM-1, ELAM-1) were the source of transcripts of these T-cell activating antigens. We conclude that next to MHC I and II, the expression of additional T-cell activating antigens such as ICAM-1 and ELAM-1 play a role in the initiation of auto-immune thyroid disease.
Schuppert
F
F
Department of Clinical Endocrinology, Hannover Medical School, Germany.
Reiser
M
M
von zur Mühlen
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000235:genetics*; D015342:DNA Probes; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000276:immunology; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000235:genetics; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000235:genetics*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000276:immunology
D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D015342:DNA Probes; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin