Do Helper T Cell Subtypes in Lymphocytic Thyroiditis Play a Role in the Antitumor Effect?.
- Author:
Seok Woo YANG
1
;
Seong Ho KANG
;
Kyung Rae KIM
;
In Hong CHOI
;
Hang Seok CHANG
;
Young Lyun OH
;
Soon Won HONG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Thyroid cancer, papillary; Cytokines; Cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p27; T-lymphocytes, helper-inducer; Neoplasm metastasis; Lymphocytic thyroiditis
- MeSH: Biomarkers; Cyclin-Dependent Kinase Inhibitor p27; Cytokines; Follow-Up Studies; Interferons; Interleukin-4; Interleukins; Lymph Nodes; Necrosis; Neoplasm Metastasis; RNA, Messenger; T-Lymphocytes, Helper-Inducer; Thyroid Gland; Thyroid Neoplasms; Thyroiditis; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune*
- From:Journal of Pathology and Translational Medicine 2016;50(5):377-384
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is frequently accompanied by lymphocytic thyroiditis (LT). Some reports claim that Hashimoto's thyroiditis (the clinical form of LT) enhances the likelihood of PTC; however, others suggest that LT has antitumor activity. This study was aimed to find out the relationship between the patterns of helper T cell (Th) cytokines in thyroid tissue of PTC with or without LT and the clinicopathological manifestation of PTC. METHODS: Fresh surgical samples of PTC with (13 cases) or without (10 cases) LT were used. The prognostic parameters (tumor size, extra-thyroidal extension of PTC, and lymph node metastasis) were analyzed. The mRNA levels of two subtypes of Th cytokines, Th1 (tumor necrosis factor α [TNF-α], interferon γ [IFN-γ ], and interleukin [IL] 2) and Th2 (IL-4 and IL-10), were analyzed. Because most PTC cases were microcarcinomas and recent cases without clinical follow-up, negative or faint p27 immunoreactivity was used as a surrogate marker for lymph node metastasis. RESULTS: PTC with LT cases showed significantly higher expression of TNF-α (p = .043), IFN-γ (p < .010), IL-4 (p = .015) than those without LT cases. Although the data were not statistically significant, all analyzed cytokines (except for IL-4) were highly expressed in the cases with higher expression of p27 surrogate marker. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that mixed Th1 (TNF-α, IFN-γ , and IL-2) and Th2 (IL-10) immunity might play a role in the antitumor effect in terms of lymph node metastasis.
