Analysis of peripheral blood T-cell subsets in active thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy: absence of effect of octreotide-LAR on T-cell subsets in patients with thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy.

Abstract

Thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) is thought to be a T-cell-mediated autoimmune disorder. We sought to characterize abnormalities in the peripheral blood T-cell subsets in patients with TAO, and examine whether the long-acting somatostatin analogue, octreotide-LAR, treatment affects these cells. We analyzed peripheral blood T-cell subsets by flow cytometry in 26 euthyroid patients with moderately severe active TAO and 24 controls. Twenty-five of the patients with TAO were enrolled in a randomized trial to receive either 30 mg of octreotide-LAR (n = 11) or placebo (n = 14) every 4 weeks for 16 weeks; all 25 patients subsequently received octreotide-LAR 30 mg every 4 weeks from week 16 to 32. T-cell subsets were analysed at baseline, week 16, and week 32. At baseline, the relative percentage of CD4+ helper T-cells (p = 0.0003) and the CD4+/CD8+ ratio (p = 0.008) were significantly higher in patients with TAO compared to controls. Patients with TAO had higher naïve active T cells (CD45RA+, CD45RA+ CD4+) and lower memory T cells (CD45RO+, CD45RO+ CD4+) than controls. At weeks 16 and 32, there were no significant differences in any T-cell subsets between the octreotide-LAR-treated and placebo groups. These results support a role of T cell in the pathogenesis of TAO, and show that octreotide-LAR has no effect on T-cell subsets during 32-weeks of treatment.

• Authors: Bijay Vaidya, Brian K Shenton, Susan Stamp, Margaret Miller, Elizabeth Baister, Christopher D Andrews, A Jane Dickinson, Petros Perros, Pat Kendall-Taylor
• Journal: Thyroid : official journal of the American Thyroid Association (Thyroid) Vol. 15 Issue 9 Pg. 1073-8 (Sep 2005) ISSN: 1050-7256 [Print] United States
• PMID: 16187917 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Leukocyte Common Antigens
• Octreotide

Topics

• CD4-CD8 Ratio
• Double-Blind Method
• Female
• Flow Cytometry
• Graves Ophthalmopathy (blood, drug therapy, immunology)
• Humans
• Leukocyte Common Antigens (analysis)
• Lymphocyte Count
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Octreotide (administration & dosage, pharmacology, therapeutic use)
• Phenotype
• T-Lymphocyte Subsets (drug effects)