title: [Age related changes of soluble Fas, Fas ligand and Bcl-2 in autoimmune thyroid diseases].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Apoptosis plays a pivotal role in the regulation of immune mechanisms in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD). The prevalence of AITD increases with age. Purpose to compare soluble Fas, FasL and Bcl-2 in Graves disease (GD) and Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) in relation to the age of the studied patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  3 groups of subjects: 1/25 patients with GD in euthyreosis on methimazol 2/27 patients with ChH in euthyreosis on levothyroxine. 3/12 healthy volunteers age and sex-matched to group 1-2. The serum levels of Fas, FasL and Bcl-2 were determined by the ELISA kit.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found positive correlations between sFas and age in GD patients (r = 0.35; p < 0.05). In GD patients we found a negative correlation between sFasL and age in all studied patients with AITD (r = -0.34; p < 0.01). We also found a negative correlation between sBcl-2 and age in HT patients (r = -0.42; p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Fas/FasL and Bcl-2 signaling pathways seem to be age-related and may explain, at least in part, milder course of Graves disease in elderly patients and increased prevalence of Hashimoto disease in this group of subjects.
authors.affiliation: Klinika Endokrynologii, Diabetologii i Chorób Wewnetrznych Akademii Medycznej, Białystok. mysjan@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Janusz
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Myśliwiec
authors.forename: Magdalena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Okłota
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nikołajuk
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Górska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood; D017209:Apoptosis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000097:blood*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D019014:fas Receptor