An inflammatory gene-expression fingerprint in monocytes of autoimmune thyroid disease patients.
BACKGROUND
In monocytes of patients with autoimmune diabetes, we recently identified a gene expression fingerprint of two partly overlapping gene clusters, a PDE4B-associated cluster (consisting of 12 core proinflammatory cytokine/compound genes), a FABP5-associated cluster (three core genes), and a set of nine overlapping chemotaxis, adhesion, and cell assembly genes correlating to both PDE4B and FABP5.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to study whether a similar monocyte inflammatory fingerprint as found in autoimmune diabetes is present in autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD).


METHODS
Quantitative PCR was used for analysis of 28 genes in monocytes of 67 AITD patients and 70 healthy controls. The tested 28 genes were the 24 genes previously found abnormally expressed in monocytes of autoimmune diabetes patients plus four extra genes found in whole-genome analysis of monocytes of AITD patients reported here.


RESULTS
Monocytes of 24% of AITD and 50% of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA) patients shared an inflammatory fingerprint consisting of the set of 24 genes of the PDE4B, FABP5, and overlapping gene sets. This study in addition revealed that FCAR, the gene for the Fcalpha receptor I, and PPBP, the gene for CXCL7, were part of this proinflammatory monocyte fingerprint.


CONCLUSIONS
Our study provides an important tool to determine a shared, specific proinflammatory state of monocytes in AITD and LADA patients, enabling further research into the role of such proinflammatory cells in the failure to preserve tolerance in these conditions and of key fingerprint genes involved.
van der Heul-Nieuwenhuijsen
Leonie
L
Department of Immunology, Erasmus Medical Center, 3015 CE Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Padmos
Roos C
RC
Drexhage
Roosmarijn C
RC
de Wit
Harm
H
Berghout
Arie
A
Drexhage
Hemmo A
HA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D016172:DNA Fingerprinting; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000235:genetics; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000235:genetics*; D055815:Young Adult
D015415:Biomarkers; D001798:Blood Proteins