title: Is lymphocytic thyroiditis a unique type or merely a type of Hashimoto's thyroiditis?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Objective of the study was to clarify the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) and the existence of difference between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and LT.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated levels of antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxidase antibodies, the apoptosis by in situ Cell Death Detection-TUNEL and the expression of Bcl2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry in thyroid tissues from 16 patient with HT, 10 with LT and 10 with euthyroid goiter-EG (control group).
  
  
  RESULTS
  It was found that apoptosis of thyrocytes in HT (mean 3.05%, SD 1.29%) and LT (mean 2.70%, SD 1.17%) was statistically significantly higher than EG (mean 0.56%, SD 0.23%), but the difference in the percentage of thyrocytes between HT and LT was not statistically significant. In HT the percentage of apoptotic infiltrating lymphocytes (mean 0.59%, SD 0.23%) was smaller than in EG (mean 2.26%, SD 1.42%), but it showed no significant difference in comparison to LT. The expression of Bax in infiltrating lymphocytes in HT (mean 0.72%, SD 0.34%) was statistically significantly higher than LT (mean 0.11%, SD 0.06%). The level of thyroglobulin was lower in HT compared to LT (P<0.01) and compared to EG (P<0.01). The level of antithyroglobulin/antithyroperoxidase antibodies was higher in HT compared to LT (P<0.01) and compared to EG (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the level of thyroglobulin and level of antibodies between LT and EG.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suppose that apoptosis represents one of significant mechanisms in the pathogenesis of both HT and LT and that LT probably differs from HT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology Medical Faculty University of Belgrade Belgrade, Serbia - jasnasal@med.bg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Todorovic
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nesovic Ostojic
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Opric
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Dundjerovic
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Bozic
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Markovic
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology*; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000473:pathology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; C056626:thyroid microsomal antibodies