Expression of CTLA-4 and CD40L on periperal T lymphocytes in autoimmune thyroid disease
AIM: To investigate the possible abnormal expression of costimulatory molecules of cytotoxic-T-lymphocyte-associated-antigen-4 (CTLA4, CD152) and CD40 ligand (CD40L, CD154) on peripheral blood T cells in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and to analyze the possible relation between these molecules and clinical indices. METHODS: The expression of costimulatory molecules on peripheral blood CD3+ T lymphocytes was detected by two-color flow cytometry in 30 patients with Graves' disease (GD), 20 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and 20 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared with that in healthy controls, the percentage of CTLA-4 expressed CD3+ T lymphocytes was significantly higher in GD patients. But in HT patients, the expression of CTLA-4 significantly decreased. A significant positive correlation was found between CTLA-4 expression and the serum level of TSAb in patients with GD. CONCLUSION: The abnormal expression of CTLA-4 on peripheral blood T lymphocytes suggests that costimulatory molecules may be involved in the pathogenesis of AITD.
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