To elucidate alteration of helper/inducer and suppuressor/cytotoxic T cells and purine nucleoside phorphorylase(PNP) activity of peripheral lymphocytes in patients with autoimune thyroid diseases, the author examined CD4+ and CD8+ cells and PNP
activity
of peripheral lymphocyte from 28 cases of Graves' disease (GD) and 22 cases of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) as well as 19 cases of adult healthy subjects as control.
The diagnoses were established on the basis of commonly accepted clinical and biochemical criteria in GD and HT. Of 28 cases of GD, 15 cases were pretreated and 13 cases were treated with 131 I or antithyroid drugs over 6 months. Of 22 cases of
HT,
12
cases were pretreated and 10 cases with thyroxin over 6 months. All blood was drawn from veins of the patients and control subjects in Pusan National University Hospital during the period of January to August, 1991.
The results obtained were summarized as follows :
1. The percentage of CD+4 cells was not different between adult healthy subjects and pretreated GD, and was lower in treated GD as compared with adult healthy subjects and pretreated GD.
2. The percentage of CD8+ cells tended to be lower in pretreated GD as compared with adult healthy subjects and treated GD, and was not different between adult subjects and treated GD.
3. The CD4/CD8 ratio was significantly higher in pretreated GD as compared with adult healthy subjects and treated GD, and was not different between adult healthy subjects and treated GD.
4. The percentage of CD4+ and CD8+ cells and CD4/CD8 ratio were not different among adult healthy subjects, pretreated and treated HT each other.
5. The PNP activity tended to be lower in pretreated GD and HT and treated GD and HT, and tended to be higher in treated GD and HT as compared with adult healthy subjects.
On the basis of the results, it can be suggested that in GD that reveals immunodysfunction due to decreased suppressor/cytotoxic T cells, that normalization of those T cells have occured after following 131 I or antithyroid drug theraphy, and
that
the
estimation of PNP activity of peripheral lymphocytes is a useful parameter in determining the effect of treatments of autoimmune thyroid diseases.
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