title: Hyperthyroid monkeys: a nonhuman primate model of experimental Graves' disease.
abstract: Graves' disease (GD) is a common organ-specific autoimmune disease with the prevalence between 0.5 and 2% in women. Several lines of evidence indicate that the shed A-subunit rather than the full-length thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) is the autoantigen that triggers autoimmunity and leads to hyperthyroidism. We have for the first time induced GD in female rhesus monkeys, which exhibit greater similarity to patients with GD than previous rodent models. After final immunization, the monkeys injected with adenovirus expressing the A-subunit of TSHR (A-sub-Ad) showed some characteristics of GD. When compared with controls, all the test monkeys had significantly higher TSHR antibody levels, half of them had increased total thyroxine (T₄) and free T₄, and 50% developed goiter. To better understand the underlying mechanisms, quantitative studies on subpopulations of CD4+T helper cells were carried out. The data indicated that this GD model involved a mixed Th1 and Th2 response. Declined Treg proportions and increased Th17:Treg ratio are also observed. Our rhesus monkey model successfully mimicked GD in humans in many aspects. It would be a useful tool for furthering our understanding of the pathogenesis of GD and would potentially shorten the distance toward the prevention and treatment of this disease in human.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Xi'an 710061, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fu
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Lv
authors.forename: X Y
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: C Q
authors.initials: CQ
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Ji
authors.forename: B Y
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Shi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000941:Antigens / Q000235:genetics / Q000633:toxicity; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D000922:Immunotoxins / Q000235:genetics / Q000633:toxicity; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D009929:Organ Size; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000235:genetics / Q000633:toxicity; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000235:genetics; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000633:toxicity; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D000922:Immunotoxins; D021122:Protein Subunits; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013974:Thyroxine
keywords: Graves' disease; rhesus monkeys; thyrotropin receptor A-subunit