title: GRO-alpha in normal and pathological thyroid tissues and its regulation in thyroid-derived cells.
abstract: Thyroid glands affected by Graves' disease (GD) show striking leukocytic infiltration, mainly by T-cells. The mechanisms by which the various leukocytes are maintained in the thyroid are unknown. Growth-regulated oncogene-alpha (GRO-alpha) in interaction with its receptor CXCR2 is a chemoattractant for both T-cells and neutrophils and may be one of the chemokines involved in the cell maintenance. GRO-alpha and CD18 mRNA as a marker of leukocytic infiltration were quantified in thyroid tissue using competitive RT-PCR. We found very high GRO-alpha mRNA levels in all thyroid tissues. In GD patients (n=16), the GRO-alpha mRNA did not correlate with the CD18 mRNA level or thyroid peroxidase and TSH-receptor antibodies in patients' sera. In thyroid autonomy (n=10), the GRO-alpha mRNA levels were significantly lower in autonomous single adenomas compared with the corresponding normal tissue. In order to define the cellular source of GRO-alpha mRNA and protein, we examined various thyroid-derived cells. Thyrocytes, thyroid-derived leukocytes and fibroblasts showed basal GRO-alpha mRNA and protein expression, which was remarkably upregulated by different stimuli in vitro. The expression of GRO-alpha by thyroid carcinoma cell lines confirms that thyrocytes may actually produce GRO-alpha. As shown by flow cytometry and immunohistology, CD68+ monocytes/macrophages are the only cell population strongly expressing CXCR2 in the thyroid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Institute of Anatomy, University of Leipzig, Germany. ausg@medizin.uni-leipzig.de
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Aust
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Steinert
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Boltze
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Simchen
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D019743:Chemokines, CXC / Q000378:metabolism; D002630:Chemotactic Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D023063:Receptors, Interleukin-8B / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: C475829:CXCL1 protein, human; D054360:Chemokine CXCL1; D019743:Chemokines, CXC; D002630:Chemotactic Factors; D006133:Growth Substances; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D023063:Receptors, Interleukin-8B