title: Role of cytokines in the pathogenesis and suppression of thyroid autoimmunity.
abstract: Autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD) are one of the most common organ-specific autoimmune disorders, of which Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and Graves' disease (GD) are 2 of the most common clinical expressions. HT is characterized by hypothyroidism that results from the destruction of the thyroid by thyroglobulin-specific T cell-mediated autoimmune response. In contrast, GD is characterized by hyperthyroidism due to excessive production of thyroid hormone induced by thyrotropin receptor-specific stimulatory autoantibodies. Cytokines play a crucial role in modulating immune responses that affect the balance between maintenance of self-tolerance and initiation of autoimmunity. However, the role of cytokines is often confusing and is neither independent nor exclusive of other immune mediators. A regulatory cytokine may either favor induction of tolerance against thyroid autoimmune disease or favor activation and/or exacerbation of autoimmune responses. These apparently contradictory functions of a given cytokine are primarily influenced by the nature of co-signaling delivered by other cytokines. Consequently, a thorough understanding of the role of a particular cytokine in the context of a specific immune response is essential for the development of appropriate strategies to modulate cytokine responses to maintain or restore health. This review provides a summary of recent research pertaining to the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of AITD with a particular emphasis on the therapeutic applications of cytokine modulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Research Resources Center, College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors.forename: Balaji B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Ganesh
authors.forename: Palash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
authors.forename: Anupama
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gopisetty
authors.forename: Bellur S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Prabhakar
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology*; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D016207:Cytokines; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin