High Levels of Thyroid Hormones Promote Recurrence of Graves' Disease Via Overexpression of B-cell-activating Factor

Overview

Journal J Clin Lab Anal

Publisher Wiley

Specialties Biomedical Engineering
Biotechnology
Pathology

Date 2022 Sep 13

PMID 36097969

Authors

Shu Liu

Jing-Jing Miao

Xiao Zhou

Qi Sun

Xiao-Ming Mao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Elevated thyroid hormone (TH) levels have been suggested to be associated with the pathological progression of Graves' disease (GD). However, direct evidence from clinical studies remains unclear.

Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from patients with or without the recurrence of Graves' hyperthyroidism (GH) and healthy donors. Thyroid tissue samples were obtained from patients with benign thyroid nodules. To assess the differentiation of autoreactive B cells, the expression of B-cell-activating factor (BAFF) and the proportion of CD11c+/-IgG+/- subsets of B cells stimulated by high levels of triiodothyronine (T3) in vivo and in vitro were examined by ELISA, flow cytometry, western blotting, and qRT-PCR.

Results: Serum BAFF levels in patients with GD were significantly and positively correlated with FT3, FT4, and TRAb levels. Furthermore, the ratio of abnormally differentiated CD11c+ autoreactive B cells positively correlated with BAFF and TRAb. High levels of triiodothyronine (T3) induced BAFF overexpression in thyroid follicular cells and mononuclear cells of the normal thyroid in vitro, thereby promoting the differentiation of CD11c+IgG+ autoreactive secretory B cells (ASCs). However, the precise knockdown of BAFF expression significantly inhibited the abnormal differentiation of ASCs.

Conclusion: The pathological progression of GD was prolonged and exacerbated by autoimmune positive feedback modulation caused by high TH levels. BAFF could be considered a potential target for localized thyroid immunosuppressive treatment of Graves' hyperthyroidism recurrence.

Citing Articles

Induced Overexpression of B Cell-Activating Factor by Triiodothyronine Results in Abnormal B Cell Differentiation in Mice.

Liu S, Li G, Gu Q, Wang J, Sun Q, Gu W Cell Transplant. 2023; 32:9636897231204075.

PMID: 37798940 PMC: 10557412. DOI: 10.1177/09636897231204075.

High levels of thyroid hormones promote recurrence of Graves' disease via overexpression of B-cell-activating factor.

Liu S, Miao J, Zhou X, Sun Q, Mao X J Clin Lab Anal. 2022; 36(10):e24701.

PMID: 36097969 PMC: 9550970. DOI: 10.1002/jcla.24701.

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