title: Lymphocytes in peripheral blood and thyroid tissue in children with Graves' disease.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study was undertaken to analyze subsets of lymphocytes in peripheral blood in the early phase and in the thyroid tissue in the late phase of Graves' disease (GD) in children.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study included 30 children with GD and 30 healthy children. Monoclonal antibodies were used to define peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and they were analyzed using the flow cytometer Ortho Diagnostic System. After thyroidectomy, T cells were detected by CD3, CD4, CD8 antibodies, B cells by CD79alpha antibodies, and the antigen presenting dendritic cells (APCs) by CD1alpha antibodies (DakoCytomation) in the thyroid tissue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before the treatment, an increased percentage of CD4+ T helper cells and B cells and decreased CD8+ T suppressor/cytotoxic cells were observed in peripheral blood in all the GD children. The number of lymphocytes and dendritic cells in the thyroid tissue increased in the children with GD in comparison to the control group, especially T cells subsets CD4+ and CD8+ and CD79alpha+ B cells. The percentage of T cells in the thyroid tissue was lower and that of B cells was higher than in peripheral blood. In their structure, thyrocytes can have components similar to alpha-chains connected with beta-microglobulins, which were characteristic for APCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The primary defect of immunoregulation in children with GD is probably dependent on a large number and the activity of T helper cells and on a small number and hypofunction of T suppressor cells. The amount of lymphocytes decreased proportionally to the duration of methimazole treatment. The thyrocytes probably can present antigens.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland. skowroneki@interia.pl
authors.forename: Ben-Skowronek
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Iwona
authors.forename: Sierocinska-Sawa
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Jadwiga
authors.forename: Korobowicz
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Elzbieta
authors.forename: Szewczyk
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leszek
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry / Q000379:methods; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013601:T-Lymphocytes; D006377:T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D013965:Thyroidectomy
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal