title: Reduced DNASE1 gene expression in thyroid autoimmunity.
abstract: The enzyme DNASE1 plays an important role in the hydrolysis of double-stranded DNA and might be related to autoimmunity. Therefore, the authors hypothesized that patients with autoimmune thyroid disease show a reduced expression of the DNASE1 gene. DNASE1 mRNA was quantitatively analyzed in 20 patients (10 with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 10 with Graves' disease) and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls by real-time reverse transcription PCR in a lightcycler using SYBR-Green-format. For relative quantification, the mRNA ratio of the DNASE1 gene to the house keeping gene β2-MICROGLOBULIN was used. The house keeping gene was proved not to be regulated by autoimmune thyroid disease. The interassay coefficient of variation for patients and controls was 22.2% and 15.6%, respectively, suggesting good reproducibility of measurements. The mean expression of the DNASE1 mRNA in patients was 0.52±0.22 (range 0.18-0.99) and in controls 0.95±0.22 (0.66-1.43). The expression level of the DNASE1 gene was strongly decreased in patients, amounting only 54.7% of that in controls (p<0.001). The lowered expression level in patients was not related to age or sex. This study demonstrated for the first time a downregulation of the DNASE1 mRNA expression in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. This might result in degrading less DNA from dying cells, thereby promoting the development of thyroid autoimmunity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine I, Gutenberg University Medical Center, Mainz, Germany.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dittmar
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Woletz
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Kahaly
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D015536:Down-Regulation; D005260:Female; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; C085693:DNASE1 protein, human; D003850:Deoxyribonuclease I