Reverse transcriptase is elevated in the thyroid tissue from Graves' disease patients.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE:

Hypertrophy of the thyroid gland in Graves' disease is related to an autoimmune response directed against TSH receptors found in thyroid cells. Recently, investigators have suggested that autoimmune diseases, including thyroid diseases may, at least in part, correlate with the expression of proteins encoded by the retroviral genome. In the present study, to confirm the correlation between thyroid autoimmune disorders and retroviral infections, we examined reverse transcriptase (RT) activity in thyroid tissues as a marker of retroviral infection.

PATIENTS AND MEASUREMENTS:

Thyroid tissues obtained at surgery from patients with various thyroid disorders (normal thyroid adjacent to adenoma, six cases; Graves' disease thyroid tissue, 25 cases; adenoma, eight cases; papillary carcinoma, 12 cases; Graves' disease peripheral blood lymphocytes, 11 cases) were used for RT assay, using a specific, improved assay system.

RESULTS:

Thyroid tissue extracts from patients with Graves' disease contained high RT activity which resembled that demonstrated in retroviruses. The RT existed in the thyroid tissue as a complex, with endogenous template RNA, and the activity was confirmed not to be due to other DNA polymerases.

CONCLUSION:

Retroviral RT distinguished from known cellular DNA polymerases is expressed in the thyroids of patients with Graves' disease. In a permissive genetice and immunological environment, retroviral DNA integrated into genomic DNA could precipitate the onset of Graves' disease.

• Authors: A Nagasaka, A Nakai, N Oda, M Kotake, K Iwase, S Yoshida
• Journal: Clinical endocrinology (Clin Endocrinol (Oxf)) Vol. 53 Issue 2 Pg. 155-9 (Aug 2000) ISSN: 0300-0664 [Print] England
• PMID: 10931095 (Publication Type: Comparative Study, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Biomarkers
• RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase

Topics

• Adenoma (enzymology)
• Biomarkers (analysis)
• Carcinoma, Papillary (enzymology)
• Graves Disease (enzymology)
• Humans
• Lymphocytes (enzymology)
• RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase (analysis)
• Retroviridae Infections (enzymology)
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Thyroid Gland (enzymology)
• Thyroid Neoplasms (enzymology)