Changes of immunoglobulins and CD series in patients with Graves' orbitopathy treated with high-dose methylprednisolone / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study the effect of high-dose methylprednisolone intravenous pulse therapy on immunoglobulins and CD series in patients with active moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy. Methods Twenty-seven patients with active moderate-to-severe Graves' orbitopathy were enrolled in this study. All the patients received iv methylprednisolone pulse therapy for 12 weeks according to the 2016 European Thyroid Association/European Group on Graves'Orbitopathy(EUGOGO) Guidelines. Serum thyroidal autoantibodies, such as thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody ( TRAb) , anti-thyroperoxidase antibody ( TPOAb) , and serum immunoglobulins, such as IgG, IgE, IgA, IgM were evaluated at the baseline, at the end of 4th and 12th week. Percentages of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells, CD8+T cells and CD19+ B cells, CD16+ or CD56+ NK cells were also evaluated at each time point. Results TRAb, TPOA and IgE, IgG, IgA were significantly decreased both after 4th week and after 12th week (all P<0.05). Percentages of CD3+ T cells, CD4+ T cells and CD4+/CD8+ ratio were gradually decreased after treatment. However, change of CD8+T cells was not significant (P>0.05). Conclusion High-dose methylprednisolone may exert an immunosuppressive effect not only by modifying humoral and cellular immune functions, but also by decreasing serum immunoglobulins.