Peripheral blood and intrathyroidal T cell clones from patients with thyroid autoimmune diseases.
For a better understanding of the pathogenesis of thyroid autoimmune diseases, we have studied morphological and functional properties of T clones from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and from intrathyroidal lymphocytes (ITL) obtained from 3 patients with Graves' disease or 1 Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Investigations were carried out on clones cultured alone or cocultured with autologous thyrocytes. Clonage efficiency ranged from 30% to 33% for PBL and 10% to 36% for ITL. A predominance of CD4-positive clones was observed whatever the origin of the lymphocytes or the autoimmune pathology. Gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) was detected in the majority (17/19) of the clones tested. Intracytoplasmic interleukin (IL-4) was secreted in 7/19 clones and both cytokines were produced in 5/19 clones. In coculture a proliferative response and tumour necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) production were observed with 6 clones (4 from Graves thyrocytes and 2 from thyroiditis). No cytotoxic clone was derived from Graves or thyroiditis tissues. These data demonstrate that the large majority of T clones are principally CD4-T cells; all the clones secreted TNF-alpha and a large majority produced IFN-gamma. Only a few clones produced IL-4 alone or associated with IFN-gamma. Six T clones induced proliferative response and of TNF-alpha secretion in coculture. Further investigations must be performed on these antigen-reactive T clones to analyse their role in the pathogenesis of the human thyroid autoimmune diseases.
Massart
C
C
Service de Génétique Moléculaire et Hormonologie, CHU de Ponchaillou, Rennes, France.
Caroff
G
G
Maugendre
D
D
Genetet
N
N
Gibassier
J
J
D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D010641:Phenotype; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016207:Cytokines; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha