title: High levels of circulating chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 11 are associated with euthyroid or subclinically hypothyroid autoimmune thyroiditis and with chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 10.
abstract: No data are available for chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 11 (CXCL11), together with CXCL10, circulating levels in autoimmune thyroiditis (AT). We measured serum CXCL11 and CXCL10 in 158 patients with newly diagnosed AT (26% with subclinical hypothyroidism), 56 euthyroid controls, and 20 patients with nontoxic multinodular goiter, all similar in gender distribution and age. CXCL11 was significantly higher in patients with AT (113±56 pg/mL) than in controls (67±16 pg/mL) or patients with multinodular goiter (75±18 pg/mL; P<0.0001). Among patients with AT, CXCL11 was significantly higher in those with a hypoechoic ultrasonographic pattern and hypothyroidism. In a multiple linear regression (MLR) model including age, thyroid volume, hypoechogenicity, hypervascularity, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), and anti-thyroid peroxidase, age (P=0.009) and TSH (P<0.008) were significantly related to serum CXCL11. In an MLR model of CXCL11 (ln[pg/mL]) versus age, TSH, CXCL10 (ln[pg/mL]), TSH (P=0.028), and CXCL10 (P=0.003) were significantly and independently related to CXCL11. We first show that circulating CXCL11, together with CXCL10, is increased in patients with thyroiditis and hypothyroidism, and is related to CXCL10 levels. These results underline the importance of a Th1 immune attack in the initiation of AT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Pisa School of Medicine, Pisa, Italy. akruettgen@ukaachen.de
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: Clodoveo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ferri
authors.forename: Silvia Martina
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frascerra
authors.forename: Ilaria
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ruffilli
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caponi
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulisse
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Miccoli
authors.forename: Poupak
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fallahi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D054371:Chemokine CXCL11 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008954:Models, Biological; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; C515202:CXCL11 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D054371:Chemokine CXCL11; D013972:Thyrotropin