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Differential expression of Fas system apoptotic molecules in peripheral lymphocytes from patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Department of Endocrinology, Medical School, University of Ioannina, 45110 Ioannina, Greece¹ Unit of Molecular Biology, Laboratory of Hematology, University Hospital of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece and ² Laboratory of Biological Chemistry,, Medical School, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece

(Correspondence should be addressed to A Tsatsoulis; Email: atsatsou{at}cc.uoi.gr)

Objective: To examine whether the Fas system apoptotic molecules are differentially expressed in Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), the two opposite phenotypes of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD).

Design: The expression of Fas and Fas ligand (FasL) on peripheral CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes, and non-lymphoid immune cells as well as their soluble forms in serum from untreated patients with GD and HT were evaluated.

Methods: Flow cytometry was performed for the study of peripheral immune cells from 70 newly diagnosed patients with AITD (55 with HT and 15 with GD) and 20 controls. ELISA was used for the measurement of soluble Fas (sFas) in serum samples from a subgroup of 35 AITD patients.

Results: An increase in the proportion of CD4 and CD8 cells expressing Fas was found in both GD and HT, albeit with some differences, when compared with controls. Importantly, in GD patients, the intensity of Fas expression on CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes was reduced and sFas levels in serum were simultaneously increased when compared with HT patients and controls.

Conclusions: The Fas system apoptotic molecules appear to be differentially expressed on peripheral lymphocytes in the two opposite phenotypes of AITD.