Journal List > J Korean Soc Endocrinol > v.21(2) > 1063845

Kim, Jung, Nam-Goong, Woo, Choi, and Kim: Expression of 4-1BB and 4-1BBL in Graves’ Disease

ABSTRACT

Background:

4-1BB mediated costimulatory signal is a recently identified immunotherapeutic strategy for treating autoimmune diseases without depressing the immune response. In this study, we investigated the expression of 4-1BB and 4-1BBL on the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and we assessed whether the serum levels of soluble (s) 4-1BB and s4-1BBL in the patients with Graves’ disease (GD) and compared them with normal subjects.

Methods:

Expression of 4-1BB and 4-1BBL on PBMC of GD patients was determined by flow cytometry. The concentrations of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL were assessed in the sera of GD patients by performing ELISA.

Results:

4-1BB was constitutively expressed on naive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of the GD patients and this was increased by stimulation. 4-1BBL was also expressed on the antigen-presenting cells such as CD19+ B cells, monocytes and dendritic cells in GD patients. The serum levels of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL were significantly higher in GD patients than those in controls, and these levels were significantly correlated with the serum levels of thyroid-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin and free T4.

Conclusion:

These results indicate that effector T cells of GD patients can be activated through the 4-1BB-mediated costimulatory signal. Elevated s4-1BB and s4-1BBL levels in the sera of GD patients may affect modulation of the clinical course in GD patients. (J Kor Soc Endocrinol 21:116~124, 2006)

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Fig. 1.
Expression levels of 4-1BB and 4-1BBL on PBMC of the patients with Graves’ disease (GD). Naïve PBMC were activated with 1 μg/mL of anti-CD3 mAb and 5 μg/mL of LPS for 24 hr. Expression levels of 4-1BB (A) and 4-1BBL (B) on PBMC of patients with GD were analyzed by flow cytometry compared with control group.
jkse-21-116f1.tif
Fig. 2.
Expression patterns of 4-1BB and 4-1BBL on PBMC of the patients with Graves’ disease. A and C, PE conjugated CD4+/CD8+ T cells with FITC conjugated 4-1BB/4-1BBL fluorescence dot plots in the lymphocytes population of PBMC with healthy subject (A) and GD patient (C) by two-color cytometry. Square box presents double-positive cell population. B and D, 4-1BBL expression on primary monocytes (Mo) and monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) of healthy subject (B) and GD patient (D) by single-color flow cytometric histogram. The thick lines represent 4-1BBL+ cells and the thin lines represent isotype-matched mAb as a control.
jkse-21-116f2.tif
Fig. 3.
Serum levels of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL in the patients with Graves’ disease. s4-1BB (A) and s4-1BBL (B) were assessed in sera of the patients with Graves’ disease by ELISA and compared with normal subjects as a control.
jkse-21-116f3.tif
Fig. 4.
Correlation between s4-1BB and s4-1BBL levels in sera of the patients with Graves’ disease. The concentrations of s4-1BB and s4-1BBL were measured in sera of the same patients by ELISA.
jkse-21-116f4.tif
Fig. 5.
Correlation between s4-1BB/s4-1BBL and clinical parameters of the patients with Graves’ disease (GD). A, Correlation between s4-1BB and TBII (%) levels in sera of the patients with GD. B, Correlation between s4-1BB and free T4 (ng/mL) levels in sera of GD patients. C, Correlation between s4-1BBL and TBII levels in sera of GD patients. D, Correlation between s4-1BBL and free T4 levels in sera of GD patients.
jkse-21-116f5.tif
Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of each study group
Age
(years)
Gender TBII
(%)
free T4
(ng/dL)
TSH
(μU/mL)
TPOAb
(IU/mL)
TgAb
(IU/mL)
Reference Value N F M 0-15.0 0.89-1.81 0.35-5.50 0-25 0-40
Graves’ Disease 20 36 ± 11 16 4 40.9 ± 17.3* 6.43 ±2.39* 0.01 ± 0.00* 466 ±358* 304 ±683
Control 20 42 ± 8 20 0 3.8 ± 2.1 1.4 ±1.06 0.58 ± 0.68 12 ±11.3 2.6 ±3.4

TBII, thyroid binding inhibitory immunoglobulin; TgAb, antibodies to thyroglobulin; TPOAb, antibodies to thyroid peroxidase.

* P < 0.05 vs. control.

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