Role of follicular regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto thyroiditis

doi:10.3969/j.issn.1673-8640.2019.08.002

Abstract

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the roles of peripheral blood follicular regulatory T cells（Tfr）and regulatory T cells（Treg） in Hashimoto thyroiditis（HT）. Methods A total of 30 patients with HT and 30 healthy subjects were enrolled. Free triiodothyronine（FT₃）,free thyroxine（FT₄）,thyroid stimulating hormone（TSH）,anti-thyroid globulin antibody（TgAb）,anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody（TPOAb） and the ratio of peripheral blood Treg（CD4⁺CD25⁺CD127^low/-） and Tfr（CD4⁺CXCR5⁺CD25⁺CD127^low/-） were determined. According to the results of serum thyroid function indicators,HT patients were classified into normal thyroid function group and hypothyroid function group. The correlations were evaluated by Pearson correlation analysis. Results Serum TSH,TgAb and TPOAb levels in HT group were higher than those in healthy control group（P<0.05,P<0.000 1）,and serum FT₄ level and peripheral blood Treg and Tfr ratios were lower than those in healthy control group（P<0.05,P<0.001）. There was no statistical significance for serum FT₃ level and Tfr/Treg ratio between the 2 groups（P>0.05）. The ratios of Treg and Tfr in normal thyroid function group and hypothyroid function group were lower than those in healthy control group（P<0.05,P<0.01,P<0.001）. Serum TSH and TPOAb levels in hypothyroid function group were higher than those in normal thyroid function group（P<0.05,P<0.01）,and serum FT₄ level was lower than that in normal thyroid function group（P<0.05）. There was no statistical significance for serum FT₃,TgAb level,Treg ratio,Tfr ratio and Tfr/Treg ratio between the 2 groups（P>0.05）. TPOAb levels were negatively correlated with Treg ratio,Tfr ratio and Tfr/Treg ratio （r=-0.428,-0.562 and -0.402,P<0.05）. There was no correlation of TgAb level with Treg ratio,Tfr ratio and Tfr/Treg ratio（r=-0.353,-0.178 and -0.310,P>0.05）. Conclusions The decreasing of Treg and Tfr ratios may be involved in the pathogenesis of HT.

Key words: Follicular regulatory T cell, Regulatory T cell, Hashimoto thyroiditis

CLC Number:

R446.1

ZOU Guanghui, SUN Fenyong, DAI Jiaqi, YAN Jie, ZHANG Yun, YIN Zhiqiang. Role of follicular regulatory T cells in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto thyroiditis[J]. Laboratory Medicine, 2019, 34(8): 682-686.

Figures/Tables 5

References 13

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组别	例数	FT₃（pmol/L）	FT₄（pmol/L）	TSH（mIU/L）	TgAb（IU/mL）	TPOAb（IU/mL）
HT组	30	4.55±0.16	13.15±0.67	19.83±7.43	306.40±60.41	200.60±29.55
正常对照组	30	4.78±0.09	14.95±0.38	1.90±0.16	11.25±0.86	2.16±0.21
t值		0.98	2.09	2.42	4.78	6.41
P值		>0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.000 1	<0.000 1

组别	例数	FT₃（pmol/L）	FT₄（pmol/L）	TSH（mIU/L）	TgAb（IU/mL）	TPOAb（IU/mL）
HT组	30	4.55±0.16	13.15±0.67	19.83±7.43	306.40±60.41	200.60±29.55
正常对照组	30	4.78±0.09	14.95±0.38	1.90±0.16	11.25±0.86	2.16±0.21
t值		0.98	2.09	2.42	4.78	6.41
P值		>0.05	<0.05	<0.05	<0.000 1	<0.000 1

组别	例数	FT₃（pmol/L）	FT₄（pmol/L）	TSH（mIU/L）	TgAb（IU/mL）	TPOAb（IU/mL）
甲状腺功能正常组	17	4.77±0.11	14.47±0.46	1.92±0.23	254.40±86.18	129.30±37.47
甲状腺功能减低组	13	4.26±0.32	11.52±1.28	43.14±15.09	384.40±89.33	284.00±37.75
t值		1.54	2.17	2.73	1.05	2.91
P值		>0.05	<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	<0.01

组别	例数	FT₃（pmol/L）	FT₄（pmol/L）	TSH（mIU/L）	TgAb（IU/mL）	TPOAb（IU/mL）
甲状腺功能正常组	17	4.77±0.11	14.47±0.46	1.92±0.23	254.40±86.18	129.30±37.47
甲状腺功能减低组	13	4.26±0.32	11.52±1.28	43.14±15.09	384.40±89.33	284.00±37.75
t值		1.54	2.17	2.73	1.05	2.91
P值		>0.05	<0.05	<0.05	>0.05	<0.01

组别	例数	Treg（%）	Tfr（%）	Tfr/Treg比值
HT组	30	7.65±0.11^***	2.97±0.11^***	0.39±0.01
甲状腺功能正常组	17	7.78±0.15^*	3.12±0.15^*	0.40±0.02
甲状腺功能减低组	13	7.48±0.17^**	2.81±0.16^***	0.38±0.02
正常对照组	30	8.37±0.16	3.44±0.07	0.41±0.01