|
Lublin, Poland
Author Affiliations: Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, ul. Chodzki 2, Poland (Ben-Skowronek I, Szewczyk L); Department of Pathomorphology, Medical University in Lublin, 20-093 Lublin ul, Jaczewskiego 8, Poland (Sierocinska-Sawa J, Korobowicz E)
Corresponding Author: Ben-Skowronek Iwona, Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Neurology, Medical University of Lublin, 20-093 Lublin, ul. Chodzki 2, Poland (Tel: +86-48817185440; Email: skowroneki@interia.pl; iwona-ben-skowronek@wp.pl)
Background: This study was undertaken to analyze subsets of lymphocytes in peripheral blood in the early phase and in the thyroid tissue in the late phase of Graves' disease (GD) in children.
Methods: The study included 30 children with GD and 30 healthy children. Monoclonal antibodies were used to define peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets and they were analyzed using the flow cytometer Ortho Diagnostic System. After thyroidectomy, T cells were detected by CD3, CD4, CD8 antibodies, B cells by CD79¦Á antibodies, and the antigen presenting dendritic cells (APCs) by CD1¦Á antibodies (DakoCytomation) in the thyroid tissue.
Results: Before the treatment, an increased percentage of CD4+ T helper cells and B cells and decreased CD8+ T suppressor/cytotoxic cells were observed in peripheral blood in all the GD children. The number of lymphocytes and dendritic cells in the thyroid tissue increased in the children with GD in comparison to the control group, especially T cells subsets CD4+ and CD8+ and CD79¦Á+ B cells. The percentage of T cells in the thyroid tissue was lower and that of B cells was higher than in peripheral blood. In their structure, thyrocytes can have components similar to ¦Á-chains connected with ¦Â-microglobulins, which were characteristic for APCs.
Conclusions: The primary defect of immunoregulation in children with GD is probably dependent on a large number and the activity of T helper cells and on a small number and hypofunction of T suppressor cells. The amount of lymphocytes decreased proportionally to the duration of methimazole treatment. The thyrocytes probably can present antigens.
Key words: Graves' disease; lymphocyte subsets; thyroid
World J Pediatr 2008;4(4):274-282
|
