Serial analysis of the effects of methimazole or radical therapy on circulating CD16/56 subpopulations in Graves' disease.

The distribution of peripheral blood CD16/56 cytotoxic T and natural killer (NK) cells in Graves' disease patients is analyzed in order to correlate them with disease activity and with prognosis. Eighteen patients with Graves' disease, twenty-four patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thirty-two sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were studied. Peripheral blood CD16/56 (cytotoxic T and NK) cells were analyzed by cytofluorometry. A decreased proportion of CD16/56+ and CD16/ 56+CD3+ cells were detected in Graves' disease patients when compared with thyroiditis patients and healthy control groups. No correlation was detected with serum free thyroxine. On diagnosis, patients who would require a radical treatment for thyrotoxicosis control showed a significant decrease of cytotoxic CD56+ T (CD3+) and NK (CD3-) cells compared with those who would maintain the euthyroid state after methimazole. These results suggest that the cytotoxic compartment, both T and NK cells, of the immune system is altered in patients with Graves' disease, independently of the functional thyroid status. Changes in peripheral blood lymphocytes in Graves' disease patients could be useful as predictive markers of an unfavorable outcome.

The expression of the beta 1 integrin CD29 and the beta 2 integrin CD11b is decreased in peripheral blood lymphocytes from Graves' disease patients.

We have prospectively examined the percentage of peripheral blood lymphocytes which expressed adhesion molecules in untreated Graves' disease patients. Eighteen patients with Graves' disease, twenty-four patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thirty-two sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were studied. The expression of the lymphocyte adhesion molecules beta-1 integrin CD29, beta-2 integrin CD11b and L-selectin Leu8 (CD62L) was analyzed by cytofluorometry. A decreased percentage of CD29+ and CD11b+ lymphocytes was observed in hyperthyroid patients in comparison with Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients and healthy controls. However, there was no difference in the percentage of CD62L+ lymphocytes in the three groups. Percentages of lymphocyte activation markers, hyperthyroid status, presence or absence of ophthalmopathy or serum levels of antithyroid antibodies were not related to the proportions of CD29+ or CD11b+ lymphocytes. Four Graves' patients required radical therapy but after the treatment, there was no modification in the percentages of CD29+ and CD11b+ lymphocytes compared with those determined at diagnosis. Our findings suggest that the decrease in beta-1 and beta-2 integrins could be a predisposing marker of development of Graves' disease.

Serial analysis of circulating T gamma/delta lymphocyte subpopulations in Graves' disease.

In the present paper the distribution of peripheral blood T gamma/delta lymphocytes in Graves' disease patients is analyzed in order to correlate them with disease activity and with prognosis. Eighteen patients with Graves' disease, 24 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 32 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were studied. Peripheral blood CD3+ alpha/beta and gamma/delta T lymphocytes as well as CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, and CD19 (B) lymphocytes were analyzed by cytofluorometry. At diagnosis, patients who required a radical treatment for thyrotoxicosis control showed a significant decrease of T gamma/delta lymphocytes and an increase of B cells when compared with those who maintained the euthyroid state after methimazole. No correlation was detected between the percentages of these subpopulations and serum free thyroxine. This decreased proportion did not normalize after methimazole or radical treatments. These results suggest that the cytotoxic T gamma/delta compartment of the immune system is altered in patients with Graves' disease.

[Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid gland. Prognostic factors]. / Carcinoma medular de tiroides. Factores pronósticos.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the clinical features and possible prognostic factors involved in the clinical course of a series of 26 patients with the diagnosis of thyroid medullar carcinoma (TMC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: An analysis was made of the variables age, sex, clinical course to diagnosis, paraneoplastic manifestations (flush, diarrhoea), clinical type (sporadic, non-associated, familial MEN IIa associated TMC, familial MEN IIb associated TMC), histologic uni or multicentricity, and stage of disease as possible predictive factors for the evolution. RESULTS: The most remarkable prognostic factor was tumoral stage. The likelihood of a patient diagnosed with stage I or II being free of metastatic disease was 1, 0.66 and 0.33 at 15, 16 and 17 years, respectively. In contrast, those patients in stage III at diagnosis had a likelihood of being free from metastasis 5 years after diagnosis and therapy of 0. With regard to sex, a better clinical course was observed among males than among females, statistically significant at 3 and 5, but not at 10 years. No statistical significance was reached with the other possible prognostic factors investigated. CONCLUSION: Given the obvious influence of tumoral stage of disease on prognosis, an early access to medical attention is desirable for diagnosis and treatment of TMC, as well as an early detection of family cases by a screening test.