Effects of 131I treatment on the circulating granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and leucocyte levels in patients with Graves' disease / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To observe the effects of 131I treatment on circulating granulocyte colonystimulating factor (G-CSF) and leucocyte levels of patients with Graves' disease (GD).Methods Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA),coulter three assortments,and radioimmunoassay were used to test the levels of circulating G-CSF,leucocytes and thyroid hormones of 65 incipient and untreated GD patients,all females,aged 21 -50,43 with normal leucocyte level and 22 with leucopenia before and after 131I treatment.Thirty age-matched healthy female subjects were used as controls.Results Before 131I treatment,the serous G-CSF level of the GD patients with normal leucocyte level was (28.4 ± 11.7)μg/L,significantly higher than that of the control [ ( 18.3 ± 6.98) μg/L,t =2.376,P ＜ 0.05 ].The serous G-CSF level of the GD patients with leucopenia was (40.1 ± 13.8 ) μg/L,significantly higher than that of the patients with normal leucocyte level ( t =2.788,P ＜ 0.01 ) and that of the control ( t =3.672,P＜0.01 ).180 d after the initiation of 131 I treatment,the G-CSF level of the patients with normal leucocyte level was (18.9 ± 8.32) μg/L,not significantly different from that of the normal controls,however,the G-CSF level of the GD patients with leucopenia was (25.7 ± 11.5) μg/L,still significantly higher than that of the normal control (t =2.103,P ＜ 0.05).The serous G-CSF level was negatively correlated with the titer of leucocyte ( r =- 0.38,P ＜ 0.05 ),however,not significantly correlated with such clinical parameters,as free triiodothyronine (FT3),free thyroxine (FT4) and thyrotropin-stimulating hormone (TSH).Conclusions Abnormal increment of G-CSF is observed in the GD patients,which may be related to the decrease of leucocyte.Effectively suppressing the auto-immune status in the GD patients,131I treatment is a safe and reliable therapy for GD patients with leucopenia and should be used as early as possible.