title: Increased macrophage colony-stimulating factor levels in patients with Graves' disease.
abstract: Previous studies have found markedly elevated serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in patients with Graves' disease (GD). We investigated the role of macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) in GD. We assayed concentrations of M-CSF in sera from 32 patients with GD (25 untreated; 7 receiving thiamazole therapy). We also studied 32 age-matched healthy subjects as controls. Relationships between serum M-CSF and both thyroid state and serum lipids were examined. Moreover, to examine the effect of thyroid hormone alone on serum M-CSF, T3 was administered orally to normal subjects. Serum concentrations of M-CSF in GD patients who were hyperthyroid were significantly increased compared with GD patients who were euthyroid (P < 0.05) and control subjects (P < 0.0001). Serum M-CSF concentrations correlated closely with T3 levels in patients (r = 0.51, P < 0.005). Serial measurement of five individual patients revealed that serum concentrations of M-CSF were significantly decreased (P < 0.05), reaching normal control values upon attainment of euthyroidism. Furthermore, oral T3 administered to 15 volunteers for 7 days produced significant increases in serum levels of M-CSF (P < 0.05). The close correlation between serum M-CSF and serum thyroid hormone levels suggests that high circulating levels of thyroid hormones may directly or indirectly potentiate the production of M-CSF in patients with GD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan. eriko@med3.m.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Eriko
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Morishita
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Akiko
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sekiya
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Transplantation Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoe
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Transplantation Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Yasuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kadohira
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Transplantation Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Mio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Maekawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Transplantation Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Masahide
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamazaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Transplantation Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Hidesaku
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asakura
authors.affiliation: Department of Cellular Transplantation Biology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakao
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Laboratory Sciences, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80 Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, 920-0942, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ohtake