PMID: 3319585Jun 1, 1987Paper

Cytotoxic mechanisms in autoimmune thyroid disorders and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy

Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America
Y HiromatsuJ R Wall

Abstract

Cytotoxic antibodies against thyroid cells and eye muscle cells, measured as antibody-dependent complement-mediated cytotoxicity and ADCC, have been demonstrated in sera from patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, respectively. Such antibodies are probably never present in the absence of target cell damage. Because cell-mediated cytotoxicity plays an important role in experimental autoimmune thyroiditis, further studies are necessary to elucidate the roles of NK cells, K cells, and cytotoxic T lymphocytes in the thyroid cell damage in AITD and orbital cell damage in ophthalmopathy. The socalled aberrant expression of HLA-DR antigens on thyroid cells and orbital cells and the gamma-interferon production by activated T cells may be both intimately associated with the development of autoimmune reactions in the thyroid and the orbit. Cytotoxic antibodies and cytotoxic T lymphocytes against antigens shared between eye muscle cells and thyroid cells may be directly responsible for the eye muscle cell damage in endocrine ophthalmopathy, and they may explain the close association of ophthalmopathy with Graves' hyperthyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Adrenocortical Carcinoma

Adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC) is a rare malignancy of the adrenal cortex, associated with a generally dismal prognosis owing to its aggressive behavior. Here are the latest discoveries pertaining to this disease.

Autoimmune Thyroiditis

Autoimmune thyroiditis is an inflammatory disease of thyroid gland due to autoimmune responses leading to lymphocytic infiltration of the gland. It is characterized by the presence of circulating thyroid antigen-specific T-cells and thyroid autoantibodies. Discover the latest research on autoimmune thyroiditis here.

Cancer Biology: Molecular Imaging

Molecular imaging enables noninvasive imaging of key molecules that are crucial to tumor biology. Discover the latest research in molecular imaging in cancer biology in this feed.

Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity

Antibody-dependent cellular toxicity refers to the lysis of a target cell by a non-sensitized effector cell of the immune system as a result of antibodies binding to the target cell membrane and engaging the Fc receptors on the immune effector cells. Find the latest research on antibody-dependent cellular toxicity here.