RESUMO
Graves' disease is an autoimmune disease. Many of the immune cells and cytokines are implicated in its pathogenesis. This study was carried out on 20 patients [11 females and 9 males] with thyrotoxicosis due to Graves' disease [diagnosis was made on the bases of clinical examination, low serum thyroid stimulating hormone [TSH], high free triiodothyronine [fT3] and free thyroxine [fT4] in all patients except two patients with early hyperthyroidism, with subnormal serum TSH. normal fT3 and tT4; thyroid technetium scintiscan showing intense homogeneous radio- tracer distibution throughout the thyroid eland and increased thyroid gland uptake]. Ten healthy subjects of comparable age were taken as control group. All patients and controls were submitted to clinical examination, ECG, technetium thyroid scintiscan, serum TSH, fT3 and tT4, serum vascular endothelial growth factor [VEGF] and tumor necrosis factor alpha [TNF-alpha]. Mean serum fT3 and fT4 were significantly higher [p<0.001] and TSH was significantly lower [p<0.0001] in patients with Gravesi disease compared to control group. Mean serum VEGF and TNF-alpha were significantly higher in patients with Gravesi disease compared to control group [p<0.001, 0.01 respectively]. Significant positive correlation was present between VEGF and fT3 [r=0.65, p<0.02]. No significant correlation was present between VEGF and fT4 or TSH in patients' group. No significant correlation was present between TNF alpha and TSH, fT3 or fT4 in patients group. Also no correlation was present between VEGF and TNF alpha in patients with Graves' disease. It may be concluded that serum VEGF and TNF-alpha concentrations are elevated in patients with Gravesi disease and they may have a role in its pathogenesis. Further larger studies are recommended to find out the role of these cytokines in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease aiming to find new drugs targeting these cytokines for prevention or treatment Graves' disease