Is lymphocytic thyroiditis a unique type or merely a type of Hashimoto's thyroiditis?

Abstract

AIM:

Objective of the study was to clarify the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT) and the existence of difference between Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and LT.

METHODS:

We evaluated levels of antithyroglobulin and antithyroperoxidase antibodies, the apoptosis by in situ Cell Death Detection-TUNEL and the expression of Bcl2 and Bax by immunohistochemistry in thyroid tissues from 16 patient with HT, 10 with LT and 10 with euthyroid goiter-EG (control group).

RESULTS:

It was found that apoptosis of thyrocytes in HT (mean 3.05%, SD 1.29%) and LT (mean 2.70%, SD 1.17%) was statistically significantly higher than EG (mean 0.56%, SD 0.23%), but the difference in the percentage of thyrocytes between HT and LT was not statistically significant. In HT the percentage of apoptotic infiltrating lymphocytes (mean 0.59%, SD 0.23%) was smaller than in EG (mean 2.26%, SD 1.42%), but it showed no significant difference in comparison to LT. The expression of Bax in infiltrating lymphocytes in HT (mean 0.72%, SD 0.34%) was statistically significantly higher than LT (mean 0.11%, SD 0.06%). The level of thyroglobulin was lower in HT compared to LT (P<0.01) and compared to EG (P<0.01). The level of antithyroglobulin/antithyroperoxidase antibodies was higher in HT compared to LT (P<0.01) and compared to EG (P<0.01). There was no statistically significant difference in the level of thyroglobulin and level of antibodies between LT and EG.

CONCLUSION:

These results suppose that apoptosis represents one of significant mechanisms in the pathogenesis of both HT and LT and that LT probably differs from HT.

• Authors: J Todorovic, J Nesovic Ostojic, D Opric, D Dundjerovic, V Bozic, L Markovic Jr
• Journal: Minerva medica (Minerva Med) Vol. 105 Issue 4 Pg. 303-12 (Aug 2014) ISSN: 1827-1669 [Electronic] Italy
• PMID: 24867187 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Autoantibodies
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
• Thyroid Hormones
• anti-thyroglobulin
• bcl-2-Associated X Protein
• thyroid microsomal antibodies

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Analysis of Variance
• Apoptosis (physiology)
• Autoantibodies (metabolism)
• Female
• Goiter, Nodular (metabolism, pathology)
• Hashimoto Disease (etiology, immunology, metabolism, pathology)
• Humans
• Hyperplasia (pathology)
• Immunohistochemistry (methods)
• In Situ Nick-End Labeling (methods)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 (analysis, metabolism)
• Statistics, Nonparametric
• Thyroid Gland (metabolism, pathology)
• Thyroid Hormones (metabolism)
• Thyroiditis, Autoimmune (etiology, immunology, metabolism, pathology)
• Young Adult
• bcl-2-Associated X Protein (analysis, metabolism)