The γδ T cell repertoire in Graves' disease and multinodular goitre

Abstract

SUMMARY γδ T cells are a subset of T cells with unknown function, and restriction of the γδ T cell receptor (TCR) repertoire has been described in rheumatoid arthritis and multiple sclerosis. Elevated numbers of γδ cells have been reported in the peripheral blood and thyroids of patients with Graves' disease. We have carried out flow cytometric analysis on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and intrathyroidal lymphocytes (ITL) from 12 patients with Graves' disease and nine patients with multinodular goitre (MNG). a thyroid disease of unknown etiology. There was no significant difference between the proportion of γδ T cells in the PBMC of Graves' and MNG patients, nor between the PBMC and ITL populations in either patient group. We have also carried out polymerase chain reaction amplification on RNA prepared from matched PBMC. ITL and the activated (CD25+) subset of ITL using six TCR γδ‐family specific primers. Although there were differences in the amounts of each γδ transcript amplified from PBMC and ITL, there was no difference between the two patient groups. No consistent differences were therefore found between the γδ T cell populations in Graves' and MNG patients, arguing against the direct involvement of this T cell subset in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease.

Perforin expression by thyroid-infiltrating T cells in autoimmune thyroid disease

“…As per cent of total CD3^ cells, values (mean ± s.e.m.) for TCRct/i"^ and 7^* cells were 89'9 ± 4-4% and 5-7 ± M%, while the ratio of TCR-f6^I TCRa^^^ cells was 0 061 ± 012; these results are comparable to those reported by Mclntosh et al for Graves' TIL using fiow cytometry [22]. Staining with anti-perforin MoAb showed that O'5-8% of all infiltrating cells expressed perforin in Graves' and 1-5 5-5% in Hashimoto's glands.…”

“…Anti-CD4 (T4) and CD56 (NKH-1) MoAbs were purchased from Coulter Electronics ( Immunofluorescence Two-colour fluorescence staining was performed at room temperature as follows. The slides were rinsed in PBS-0.1% [22]. Staining with anti-perforin MoAb showed that 0 5-8% of all infiltrating cells expressed perforin in Graves' and 1-5-5 5% in Hashimoto's glands.…”

γδ T cell receptor gene expression by muscle-infiltrating lymphocytes in the idiopathic inflammatory myopathies

“…Likewise, similar studies describing restricted patterns of 7^ TCR gene expression suggest an important role for -yS T cells in many human autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis [13,16.26] and rheumatoid arthritis [12,17,27,28]. Unfortunately, many of these studies have yielded conflicting data on the extent and nature of 71^ TCR expression in inflammatory lesions [15,16,19,[28][29][30][31]. In the IIM, immunohistochemical analyses of muscle biopsies suggest that -yS T cells are an infrequent component of lymphocytic infiltrates among most patients surveyed [9,32].…”