title: Immunological Characteristics of Children with Hashimoto's Autoimmune Thyroiditis.
abstract: The main cause of autoimmune thyroiditis of Hashimoto's type (HT) is a pathological immune response to thyroid antigens. The aim of the study was to present clinical characteristics and immune profile of children with HT. Ninety five children were examined: 45 with HT (age: 8-18 years) and 50 healthy age-matched controls. The peripheral blood mononuclear cells' (PBMC) phenotype was evaluated using a Beckman Coulter flow cytometer with the following monoclonal antibodies: CD4-FITC, CD28-PC5, CD152-PE and CD8-FITC, CD28-PC5, CD152-PE. The thyroid stimulating hormone, thyroid hormones, and antibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin (TG) were evaluated by a microparticle enzyme immunoassay. We found that goiter was present in 53% of children, the thyroid had an increased density in palpation in 98%, and hypothyroidism was diagnosed in 11% of HT patients. The number of CD152+ was lower in HT than in healthy children (p<0.05). CD4+ and CD8+ PBMC subsets did not differ between the groups at baseline. After stimulation with phytohemagglutinine (PHA), CD4+ cells decreased in healthy controls and remained constant in HT children. Anti-TPO and anti-TG antibodies were higher in children with a lower percentage of CD152+. No other markers correlated with the immunological profile of PBMC. The percentages of CD4+ and CD152+ negatively correlated with the anti-TG concentration. We conclude that children with HT have a different PBMC profile than healthy children and show a different pattern of response to stimulation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics and Endocrinology, Warsaw Medical University, 24 Marszalkowska St., 00-756, Warsaw, Poland, anna.kucharska@litewska.edu.pl.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Kucharska
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gorska
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stelmaszczyk-Emmel
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Demkow
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pyrżak
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase