Circulating activated T lymphocyte subsets in patients with silent thyroiditis.
In order to investigate the immunological aspects of silent thyroiditis, T lymphocyte subsets were analyzed by two-color flow cytometry in 10 patients with silent thyroiditis in the thyrotoxic phase, 12 patients with silent thyroiditis in the recovery phase, and 11 healthy volunteers as a control. The percentages of CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells were similar in all three groups. In contrast, activated matured T (HLA-DR+CD3+), activated helper/inducer T (HLA-DR+CD4+) and activated suppressor/cytotoxic T (HLA-DR+CD8+) cells were more numerous in both the thyrotoxic and the recovery phases of patients with silent thyroiditis when compared with healthy controls. In a serial study of 6 patients with silent thyroiditis, the percentage of activated helper/inducer T (HLA-DR+CD4+) cells was higher in the thyrotoxic phase than in the recovery phase. These data indicate that the activation of T cells, especially of helper/inducer T cells, might be important for the induction of silent thyroiditis.
Kushima
K
K
3rd Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Ban
Y
Y
Taniyama
M
M
Itoh
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000032:analysis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008875:Middle Aged; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer / Q000276:immunology; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
D017252:CD3 Complex