Observation of dendritic cell and HLA-DR antigen expression in autoimmune thyroid diseases and subacute thyroiditis / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the effects of dendritic cell (DC) and HLA-DR antigen expression in the generation and development of Graves′ disease (GD), Hashimoto′s thyroiditis (HT) and subacute thyroiditis (SAT). Methods A morphologic study was performed on the thyroid tissue of 53 GD with pronounced lymphocytic infiltration, 52 HT and 31 SAT to investigate the pathologic changes of DC and HLA-DR antigen positive cell in the parenchymal cells and intestitial tissue by histochemical, immunohistochemical and electron microscopic technique and statistic analysis. Results The observation on DC and HLA-DR positive infiltrating cell in GD, HT and SAT showed a similar increase with the degree of cellular infiltation. The highest peaks of DC and HLA-DR positive thyroid follicular epithelium were in HT O-type and granulomatous area of SAT. The highest peaks of HLA-DR positive immunoactive cells was in HT P-type and fibrous area of SAT. Conclusion DC and HLA-DR positive cells may play an important role in the antigen-presenting step as well as in their direct cytotoxicity. These processes are related to the pathogenesis of AITD (GD and HT) and SAT. The thyroid follicules may be destroyed in the autoimmune reaction, and initially the patient presents hyperthyroidism and finally hypothyroidism follows because of the fibnosis of the follicules.