| Abstract: | ![]()
To investigate the immunological process in various thyroid disease, we measured interferon-alpha, -gamma (IFN-alpha,-gamma, natural killer (NK) activity, and lymphocyte subsets in the peripheral blood of 27 patients with Basedow's disease (BD) (M:F = 9:18), 8 with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (2:6), 5 with idiopathic hypothyroidism (1HT) (1:4), and normal controls (C). IFN-alpha, -gamma levels were measured by bioassay with Dye-uptake method, and NK activity was measured by the LDH method. The mean +/- SD levels of IFN-gamma in BD, HT, IHT, and C (N = 217) were 173.9 +/- 88.0, 288.0 +/- 134.9, 120.4 +/- 38.0 and 173.9 +/- 88.01U/ml, respectively. The IFN-gamma level was higher in HT (p less than 0.05) than in controls, and lower in BD (p less than 0.02). Moreover, this IFN-gamma level did not correspond with the titers of thyroid hormones; TSH, anti-microsome antibody, and anti-TSH-receptor antibody in peripheral blood. However, IFN-alpha levels and NK activity in the patients of every group were similar to those in controls. The ratios of lymphocyte subsets of peripheral blood were measured by cytofluorometry with monoclonal antibodies. The mean +/- SD levels of T cells in BD, HT, IHT and C were 75.9 +/- 7.0, 83.4 +/- 7.2, 85.2 +/- 5.7, 82.3 +/- 5.8%, and those of B cells were 17.5 +/- 6.1, 10.9 +/- 4.2, 8.0 +/- 5.8, 10.9 +/- 5.0%, respectively. The ratio of T cells was higher in IHT (p less than 0.05) and lower in BD (p less than 0.01) than in controls.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS) |
