title: Increased levels of serum interleukin-12 in Graves' disease.
abstract: We investigated serum total interleukin-12 (IL-12) levels in patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. The serum IL-12 levels in Graves' disease were significantly increased in the hyperthyroid state, and were decreased during treatment with methimazole or propylthiouracil in accordance with the decline of free tri-iodothyronine (T(3)) levels, free thyroxine levels and thyroid-binding inhibiting immunoglobulin (TBII) levels. When T(3) was administered orally to normal subjects, serum IL-12 levels were slightly increased. These results suggest that IL-12 might be increased due to prolonged stimulation with thyroid hormone, and thyroid hormone by itself might be a self-perpetuating factor of Graves' disease via increased IL-12 production.
authors.affiliation: The Third Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Ehime University, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamaru
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Matsuura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onji
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D018664:Interleukin-12