title: Cytokine production in patients with papillary thyroid cancer and associated autoimmune Hashimoto thyroiditis.
abstract: Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is the most frequent thyroid autoimmune disease, while papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is one of the most common endocrine malignancies. A few patients with HT also develop PTC. The aim of this study was to analyze cytokine profiles in patients with PTC accompanied with autoimmune HT in comparison with those in patients with PTC alone or HT alone and healthy subjects. Cytokine levels were determined in supernatants obtained from phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated whole blood cultures in vitro. The concentrations of selected cytokines: Th1-interferon gamma (IFN-γ); Th2-interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5), interleukin 6 (IL-6), interleukin 10 (IL-10) and interleukin 13 (IL-13); Th9-interleukin 9 (IL-9); and Th17-interleukin 17 (IL-17A) were measured using multiplex cytokine detection systems for human Th1/Th2/Th9/Th17/Th22. We found that PTC patients with HT produced significantly higher concentrations of IL-4, IL-6, IL-9, IL-13 and IFN-γ than PTC patients without HT. In conclusion, autoimmune HT affects the cytokine profile of patients with PTC by stimulating secretion of Th1/Th2/Th9 types of cytokines. Th1/Th2 cytokine ratios in PTC patients with associated autoimmune HT indicate a marked shift toward Th2 immunity.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of Kragujevac, Svetozara Markovica 69, 34000, Kragujevac, Serbia, snezana@medf.kg.ac.rs.
authors.forename: Snezana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zivancevic-Simonovic
authors.forename: Olgica
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Mihaljevic
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Majstorovic
authors.forename: Suzana
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Popovic
authors.forename: Slavica
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Markovic
authors.forename: Olivera
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Milosevic-Djordjevic
authors.forename: Zorica
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jovanovic
authors.forename: Ljiljana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mijatovic-Teodorovic
authors.forename: Dusan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mihajlovic
authors.forename: Miodrag
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Colic
mesh_terms: D002277:Carcinoma / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D058408:Th1-Th2 Balance; D058504:Th17 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000077273:Thyroid Cancer, Papillary; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins