Przemyslaw Pawlowski1,2,3, Izabela Poplawska4, Janusz Mysliwiec5, Willem A Dik6, Anja Eckstein7, Utta Berchner-Pfannschmidt7, Robert Milewski8, Slawomir Lawicki9, Zofia Dzieciol-Anikiej10, Robert Rejdak11,12, Joanna Reszec1. 1. Department of Medical Pathomorphology, Cathedral of Biostructure, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. 2. Department of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. 3. Department of Ophthalmology, Ludwik Rydygier District Hospital in Suwalki, Poland. 4. Department of Medical Pathomorphology, Cathedral of Biostructure, Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. iptaborda@gmail.com. 5. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. 6. Department of Immunology, Laboratory Medical Immunology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. 7. Molecular Ophthalmology, Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Essen/University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany. 8. Department of Statistics and Medical Informatics, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. 9. Department of Population Medicine and Civilization Diseases Prevention, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. 10. Department of Rehabilitation, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland. 11. Department of General Ophthalmology, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland. 12. Department of Experimental Pharmacology, Medical Research Centre, Polish Academy of Sciences, Warsaw, Poland.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is a complication in Graves' disease (GD) that causes disfigurement and sometimes blindness. The pathogenesis of GO remains unknown, while its symptoms demonstrate dependence between the thyroid gland and the orbit. The ongoing inflammatory process in retrobulbar tissue results in its remodeling characterized by increased volume of the orbital contents involving adipose tissue, with fibrosis and adipogenesis as predominant features. This study was aimed at the immunohistochemical verification of potential contribution and correlation between orbital expressions of IGF-1R, CD34, Foxp-3, PPAR-γ and CD4, CD68, TGF-β, FGF-β in severe and mild (long-lasting) GO. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-one orbital tissue specimens - 22 patients with severe GO, 9 patients with mild GO and 10 patients undergoing blepharoplasty as a control group - were processed by routine immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Increased IGF-1R, CD34 and Foxp-3 expression was found in both severe and mild GO, yet a significant correlation between CD34 and CD4, CD68, TGF-β, FGF-β expressions was observed in long-lasting GO. CONCLUSIONS: CD34 expression is proposed to be the marker of orbital tissue remodeling in the course of mild GO.
INTRODUCTION:Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is a complication in Graves' disease (GD) that causes disfigurement and sometimes blindness. The pathogenesis of GO remains unknown, while its symptoms demonstrate dependence between the thyroid gland and the orbit. The ongoing inflammatory process in retrobulbar tissue results in its remodeling characterized by increased volume of the orbital contents involving adipose tissue, with fibrosis and adipogenesis as predominant features. This study was aimed at the immunohistochemical verification of potential contribution and correlation between orbital expressions of IGF-1R, CD34, Foxp-3, PPAR-γ and CD4, CD68, TGF-β, FGF-β in severe and mild (long-lasting) GO. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-one orbital tissue specimens - 22 patients with severe GO, 9 patients with mild GO and 10 patients undergoing blepharoplasty as a control group - were processed by routine immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Increased IGF-1R, CD34 and Foxp-3 expression was found in both severe and mild GO, yet a significant correlation between CD34 and CD4, CD68, TGF-β, FGF-β expressions was observed in long-lasting GO. CONCLUSIONS:CD34 expression is proposed to be the marker of orbital tissue remodeling in the course of mild GO.