Mieko Aozasa

Intrathyroidal HLA-DR-positive lymphocytes in Hashimoto's disease: Increases in CD8 and Leu7 cells☆

The peripheral and intrathyroidal HLA-DR-positive (DR+) lymphocyte subsets that were activated in vivo in patients with Hashimotos disease (HD) were examined by two-color flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies against CD3, CD4, CD8, Leu7, CD19, and HLA-DR antigens. The proportions of total DR+ cells in peripheral lymphocytes and the proportions of DR+ cells in the CD3+, CD4+, and Leu7+ lymphocytes were higher in patients with HD than in normal controls. Furthermore, the proportions of total DR+ cells among intrathyroidal lymphocytes isolated from thyroid tissue of individuals with HD were higher than those in their peripheral lymphocytes. Interestingly, the proportions of DR+ cells among the CD3+, CD8+, and Leu7+ lymphocytes in the thyroid were greatly increased. These data indicate that (i) CD3+ T, especially CD4+ T helper/inducer, lymphocytes and Leu7+ NK/K cells are activated in peripheral blood in Hashimotos disease and that (ii) CD3+ T, especially CD8+ T suppressor/cytotoxic, lymphocytes and Leu7+ NK/K cells are predominantly activated in Hashimotos goiter, suggesting an increase of cell-mediated cytotoxicity in the thyroid in Hashimotos disease.

Familial OKT4 epitope deficiency: studies on antigen density and lymphocyte function.

The family of a case of hereditary deficiency of OKT4 epitope on helper T cells was investigated. A 30-year-old woman was found to have hardly any OKT4+ T cells (0.7%, normal 24-51%), but normal OKT3, OKT8, OKT11, OKIa1, Leu1, Leu2a, Leu3a, Leu7, and B1 positive cells. The response to mitogens (PHA, PWM, and Con A) and helper-or suppressor-T-cell functions of her peripheral lymphocytes were normal. She had normal helper-T-cell populations detected with OKT4A (39.1%) and Leu3a (39.5%) monoclonal antibodies. One of her sisters had the same defect, but other members of the family had normal lymphocyte subsets. Lymphocyte functions were also found to be normal in all family members examined. The peak position of the fluorescence intensity of OKT4+ cells was about half that of normal controls in five members of this family. Considering that these were carriers of OKT4 epitope deficiency, the OKT4 epitope abnormality was inherited as an autosomal codominant trait in this family. Similar OKT4 epitope deficiency with normal Leu3a+ and OKT4A+ cells was found in 38 of 8866 (0.43%) other subjects in Japan by the examination of routine blood samples.

Postpartum Onset Of Graves’ Disease

Pregnancy markedly influences the clinical course of autoimmune thyroid diseases (1, 2). Graves’ disease is aggravated in early pregnancy but ameliorated in the later half of pregnancy (3). Hashimoto’s disease is also ameliorated during pregnancy and slightly increased levels of serum TSH are often returned into normal range in association with the progress of pregnancy (4). Contrary to amelioration of disease during pregnancy, both Graves’ disease and Hashimoto’s disease are aggravated after delivery and various types of thyroid dysfunction, as shown in Figure 1, are frequently observed (3~5).