ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To compare soluble Fas, FasL and Bcl-2 in Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) to the markers of humoral response: aTPO, aTG and aTSHR. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 5 groups of subjects: 1) 14 patients with GD in euthyreosis on methimazol (euGD); 2) 20 patients with hyperthyroid GD (hrGD); 3) 15 patients with HT in euthyreosis on levothyroxine (euHT); 4) 16 patients with hypothyroid HT (hoHT); 5) 12 healthy volunteers age and sex-matched to group 1-4. Serum concentrations of Fas, FasL, Bcl-2, aTPO and aTG were determined by ELISA and aTSHR by RIA. RESULTS: Levels of sFas were the highest in hoHT: 8.7 (7.2-9.8) ng/ml as compared to the controls (p < 0.01) and euHT (p < 0.05). We found positive correlations between sFas and aTPO in all studied groups (r = 0.25, p < 0.05) and between sFas and TSH in HT (r = 0.4, p < 0.05). In GD there was a positive correlation between sFasL and aTG (r = 0.5, p < 0.01) and negative correlations between sFasL and Fas (r = -0.39, p < 0.01) and between sFasL and period of methimazol administration (r = -0.32, p < 0.05). Levels of sBcl-2 were significantly increased in euHT: 31.0 (13.5-44.1) ng/ml as compared to the controls (p < 0.05) and euGD (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Fas/FasL mediated apoptosis plays an important role in the active stage of the autoimmune process of both Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease, however, in Hashimoto's thyroiditis they contribute to irreversible damage of thyreocytes. Early detection of Hashimoto's and Graves' diseases allows for the initiation of the proper treatment that probably leads to the reduction of the autoimmune process intensity.
