[Measurement of IL-12 and IL-18 in sera of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease]

Abstract

Aim: To provide some evidence for the imbalance of Th1/Th2 cells in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease(AITD).

Methods: Concentrations of IL-12 and IL-18 in the serum samples of 27 patients with Graves' disease(GD), 24 patients with euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis(HT), 25 patients with hypothyroid HT and 20 normal controls were investigated by ELISA. The activity of thyroid-stimulating antibody(TSAb) was also assayed in GD patients.

Results: The mean levels of IL-12 and IL-18 in patients with GD and euthyroid HT were significantly higher than those in normal controls. Significant positive correlations were found between the level of IL-12 and IL-18 in the two groups. In addition, striking positive correlations were noted between the levels of IL-12, IL-18 and the activity of TSAb in GD, as well as between the levels of IL-12, IL-18 and the titers of anti-thyroglobulin antibody(TgAb) in euthyroid HT. However, no differences were observed in IL-12 and IL-18 levels between hypothyroid HT and normal controls.

Conclusion: Th1-type cell and related cytokines might play an important role in the pathogenesis of HT and GD. Such therapies can aggravate the process of disease in GD by suppressing Th2 response and modulating imbalance toward Th1 predominance.