title: Analysis of peripheral blood T-cell subsets in active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: absence of effect of octreotide-LAR on T-cell subsets in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.
abstract: Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is thought to be a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disorder. We sought to characterize abnormalities in the peripheral blood T-cell subsets in patients with TAO, and examine whether the long-acting somatostatin analogue, octreotide-LAR, treatment affects these cells. We analyzed peripheral blood T-cell subsets by flow cytometry in 26 euthyroid patients with moderately severe active TAO and 24 controls. Twenty-five of the patients with TAO were enrolled in a randomized trial to receive either 30 mg of octreotide-LAR (n = 11) or placebo (n = 14) every 4 weeks for 16 weeks; all 25 patients subsequently received octreotide-LAR 30 mg every 4 weeks from week 16 to 32. T-cell subsets were analysed at baseline, week 16, and week 32. At baseline, the relative percentage of CD4+ helper T-cells (p = 0.0003) and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p = 0.008) were significantly higher in patients with TAO compared to controls. Patients with TAO had higher naïve active T cells (CD45RA+, CD45RA+ CD4+) and lower memory T cells (CD45RO+, CD45RO+ CD4+) than controls. At weeks 16 and 32, there were no significant differences in any T-cell subsets between the octreotide-LAR-treated and placebo groups. These results support a role of T cell in the pathogenesis of TAO, and show that octreotide-LAR has no effect on T-cell subsets during 32-weeks of treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. bijay.vaidya@pms.ac.uk
authors.forename: Bijay
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Vaidya
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Shenton
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stamp
authors.forename: Margaret
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miller
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Baister
authors.forename: Christopher D
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: A Jane
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Dickinson
authors.forename: Petros
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perros
authors.forename: Pat
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kendall-Taylor
mesh_terms: D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D049970:Graves Ophthalmopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015282:Octreotide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010641:Phenotype; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D017493:Leukocyte Common Antigens; D015282:Octreotide