Rosaria Maddalena Ruggeri1, Paola Minciullo2, Salvatore Saitta2, Salvatore Giovinazzo1, Rosaria Certo1, Alfredo Campennì3, Francesco Trimarchi1, Sebastiano Gangemi2, Salvatore Benvenga4. 1. Unit of Endocrinology, A.O.U. Policlinico "G. Martino", Messina, Italy. 2. School and Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Messina, Italy. 3. Nuclear Medicine Unit, Department of Biomedical Sciences and of Morphological and Functional Images, Messina, Italy. 4. Unit of Endocrinology, Master on Childhood, Adolescent and Women's Endocrine Health; University of Messina, Interdepartmental Program of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology & Women's Health; A.O.U. Policlinico "G. Martino", Messina, Italy.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is considered to be a Th1-related autoimmune disease (AID). Recent studies revealed that Th17 lymphocytes (producing mostly IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22) play a major role in numerous AIDs commonly thought to be Th1 diseases. More recently, another subset of Th cells, which produce IL-22 and thus so-called Th-22, have been identified. Few data are available in the literature on the role of IL-22, the main soluble mediator of both Th17 and Th22 cells, in HT. DESIGN: Using IL-22 Quantikine ELISA Kit (lower limit of detection 0.7 pg/ml), we assayed serum levels of IL-22 in three groups of subjects: newly diagnosed HT patients (n=55, 5 males and 50 females, age 38±17 years), non-HT patients with nodular goiter (n=30, 4 males and 26 females, age 43±14 years) and an age- and sex-matched group of healthy individuals. HT patients were euthyroid and were not receiving any treatment. RESULTS: HT patients showed significantly higher levels of serum IL-22 (group A, 42±34 pg/ml) as compared to non-HT-goitrous patients (18±15 pg/ml; P<0.001) and healthy controls (20±13 pg/ml; P=0.014). Serum IL-22 levels did not differ between non-HT-goitrous patients and healthy controls (p=0.496). No significant correlation was found between serum levels of IL-22 and Tg-Ab, TPO-Ab or TSH in the HT patients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum IL-22 is increased in newly diagnosed, untreated HT patients, as compared to thyroid autoimmune disease-free individuals. Our data suggest that IL-22 could play some role in the development of HT.
OBJECTIVE:Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is considered to be a Th1-related autoimmune disease (AID). Recent studies revealed that Th17 lymphocytes (producing mostly IL-17, IL-21 and IL-22) play a major role in numerous AIDs commonly thought to be Th1 diseases. More recently, another subset of Th cells, which produce IL-22 and thus so-called Th-22, have been identified. Few data are available in the literature on the role of IL-22, the main soluble mediator of both Th17 and Th22 cells, in HT. DESIGN: Using IL-22 Quantikine ELISA Kit (lower limit of detection 0.7 pg/ml), we assayed serum levels of IL-22 in three groups of subjects: newly diagnosed HTpatients (n=55, 5 males and 50 females, age 38±17 years), non-HTpatients with nodular goiter (n=30, 4 males and 26 females, age 43±14 years) and an age- and sex-matched group of healthy individuals. HTpatients were euthyroid and were not receiving any treatment. RESULTS:HTpatients showed significantly higher levels of serum IL-22 (group A, 42±34 pg/ml) as compared to non-HT-goitrouspatients (18±15 pg/ml; P<0.001) and healthy controls (20±13 pg/ml; P=0.014). Serum IL-22 levels did not differ between non-HT-goitrouspatients and healthy controls (p=0.496). No significant correlation was found between serum levels of IL-22 and Tg-Ab, TPO-Ab or TSH in the HTpatients. CONCLUSIONS: Serum IL-22 is increased in newly diagnosed, untreated HTpatients, as compared to thyroid autoimmune disease-free individuals. Our data suggest that IL-22 could play some role in the development of HT.
Authors: R M Ruggeri; M Cristani; T M Vicchio; A Alibrandi; S Giovinazzo; A Saija; A Campennì; F Trimarchi; S Gangemi Journal: J Endocrinol Invest Date: 2018-05-23 Impact factor: 4.256