CD4+CD45RA+ cells (suppressor-inducer T cells) in thyroid tissue from patients with Graves' disease.
Previously, we used dual immunofluorescent analysis and showed that the thyroid gland from patients with Graves' disease had a reduced number of CD4+CD45RA+ cells, but an increased number of complementary CD4+CDw29+ cells. An immunohistochemical study, however, produced opposite results; interstitial lymphocytes predominantly expressed the CD45RA+ rather than the CDw29+ phenotype. Because the difference in findings may be due to differences in the techniques used, we did the following experiments: Mononuclear cells were treated with various amounts of collagenase (50-1000 mg/l) which had no effect on the cell surface antigens CD3, CD4 and CD45RA. A dual immunofluorescent study showed that the numbers of CD4+CD45RA+ and CD8+CD45RA+ cell population among CD45RA+ cell population were markedly decreased in the thyroid tissue, and that the CD45RA antigen on the intrathyroidal mononuclear cells was mainly expressed on the CD20+ cells. As the thyroid section had been fixed with acetone before immunohistochemical staining, CD45RA- cells were treated with acetone and stained with anti-CD45RA monoclonal antibody using an avidin-biotin peroxidase complex method. The results of this experiment suggest that there are cell surface molecules which react with anti-CD45RA monoclonal antibody after treatment with acetone in CD45RA- cells. The above findings confirm our previous results which showed that the thyroid glands of patients with Graves' disease have decreased numbers of suppressor-inducer T cells. Also, several problems exist in the detection of CD45RA+ cells when using an immunohistochemical method.
Kawakami
A
A
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nagasaki University School of Medicine, Japan.
Eguchi
K
K
Matsunaga
M
M
Tezuka
H
H
Ueki
Y
Y
Shimomura
C
C
Otsubo
T
T
Nakao
H
H
Migita
K
K
Ishikawa
N
N
D000096:Acetone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis*; D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D008297:Male; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015703:Antigens, CD; D015704:CD4 Antigens; D006649:Histocompatibility Antigens; D000096:Acetone; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens