Matsubayashi S, Kasuga Y, Sakatsume Y, Akasu F, Volpé R
Endocrinology Research Laboratory, Wellesley Hospital, University of Toronto.
Clin Invest Med. 1990 Oct;13(5):271-4.
The lymphokine, interferon gamma (IFN gamma) is considered to play an important role in the development of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD); the main source of IFN gamma has been shown to be CD4 cells when stimulated by soluble antigen. We have measured the serum IFN gamma concentration in 42 patients with AITD (24 Graves' disease and 18 Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and 9 normal control subjects, using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (detectable limit, 1 IU/ml). One of normal controls, 14 of the 24 patients with Graves' disease, and 5 of the 18 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis had detectable IFN gamma levels. Patients with Graves' disease were found to have higher concentrations of serum IFN gamma (11.6 +/- 15.8 IU/ml, mean +/- SD) than normal controls (1.1 +/- 0.3 IU/ml). However, the values in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (9.4 +/- 15.5 IU/ml) were not significant when compared to those in normal controls. Serum IFN gamma values in patients with AITD did not correlate with serum anti thyroid autoantibodies (antithyroglobulin, antithyroid microsomal antibody, or TSH binding inhibitory immunoglobulin activity) or with thyroid function. Thus, increased in vivo production of IFN gamma in Graves' disease as evidenced in these serum concentrations might reflect T cell activity, but does not appear to be an accurate reflection of intrathyroidal events.
淋巴因子γ干扰素（IFNγ）被认为在自身免疫性甲状腺疾病（AITD）的发展中起重要作用；已表明可溶性抗原刺激时，IFNγ的主要来源是CD4细胞。我们使用夹心酶联免疫吸附测定法（ELISA）（检测限为1 IU/ml），测定了42例AITD患者（24例格雷夫斯病和18例桥本甲状腺炎）及9名正常对照者的血清IFNγ浓度。9名正常对照者中有1名、24例格雷夫斯病患者中有14例、18例桥本甲状腺炎患者中有5例的IFNγ水平可检测到。发现格雷夫斯病患者的血清IFNγ浓度（11.6±15.8 IU/ml，平均值±标准差）高于正常对照者（1.1±0.3 IU/ml）。然而，与正常对照者相比，桥本甲状腺炎患者的值（9.4±15.5 IU/ml）无显著差异。AITD患者的血清IFNγ值与血清抗甲状腺自身抗体（抗甲状腺球蛋白、抗甲状腺微粒体抗体或促甲状腺激素结合抑制免疫球蛋白活性）或甲状腺功能均无相关性。因此，这些血清浓度所证明的格雷夫斯病患者体内IFNγ产生增加可能反映了T细胞活性，但似乎并非甲状腺内事件的准确反映。
