Autoimmune thyroid disease: purification and phenotypic analysis of intrathyroid T cells.
A phenotypic analysis of T cells infiltrating the thyroid of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (both Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis) was performed. T lymphocytes were purified from mononuclear cells extracted from surgically removed tissue. The following markers were evaluated: la antigens, MLR4 antigen (expressed on activated T cells) 5/9 antigen (expressed on a subset of lymphocytes containing the whole "helper-inducer" activity in vitro), Fc gamma-receptors, B9 antigen (expressed by cytotoxic, or precursor of cytotoxic, T cells). We observed increased percentages of 5/9-, MLR4- and la-positive T cells with respect to peripheral blood in both HT and GD: on the contrary, in specimens from nonautoimmune thyroid diseases mononuclear infiltrate was minimal, and even T cell evaluation was not possible. In addition, B9- and Fc gamma-positive T cells were increased in Hashimoto's, but not in Graves' thyroid tissue, thus suggesting a different role of cytotoxic effector mechanisms in the two diseases.
D000328:Adult; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000276:immunology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II