TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased serum type I interferon activity in organ-specific autoimmune disorders
T2 - Clinical, imaging, and serological associations
AU - Mavragani, Clio P.
AU - Niewold, Timothy B.
AU - Chatzigeorgiou, Antonis
AU - Danielides, Stamatina
AU - Thomas, Dimitrios
AU - Kirou, Kyriakos A.
AU - Kamper, Elli
AU - Kaltsas, Grigorios
AU - Crow, Mary K.
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Background: Activation of the type I interferon (IFN) pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune disorders but its role in the pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmunity is limited. We tested the hypothesis that endogenous expression of type I IFN functional activity contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) and type I diabetes (T1DM).Methods: We studied 39 patients with ATD and 39 age and sex matched controls along with 88 T1DM patients and46 healthy matched controls respectively. Available clinical and serological parameters were recordedby chart review, and thyroid ultrasound was performed in 17 ATD patients. Type I IFN serum activitywas determined in all subjects using a reporter cell assay. The rs1990760 SNP of the interferon-inducedhelicase 1 gene was genotyped in ATD patients.Results: Serum type I IFN activity was increased in patients with ATD and T1DM compared to controls (p-values: 0.002 and 0.04, respectively). ATD patients with high type I IFN serum activity had increased prevalence of antibodies against thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and cardiopulmonary manifestations compared to those with low IFN activity. Additionally, the presence of micronodules on thyroid ultrasound was associated with higher type I IFN levels. In patients with T1DM, high IFN levels were associated with increased apolipoprotein-B levels.Conclusion: Serumtype I IFN activity is increased in ATD and T1DM and is associated with specific clinical, serological, and imaging features. These findings may implicate type I IFN pathway in the pathogenesis of specific features of organ-specific autoimmunity.
AB - Background: Activation of the type I interferon (IFN) pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of systemic autoimmune disorders but its role in the pathogenesis of organ-specific autoimmunity is limited. We tested the hypothesis that endogenous expression of type I IFN functional activity contributes to the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) and type I diabetes (T1DM).Methods: We studied 39 patients with ATD and 39 age and sex matched controls along with 88 T1DM patients and46 healthy matched controls respectively. Available clinical and serological parameters were recordedby chart review, and thyroid ultrasound was performed in 17 ATD patients. Type I IFN serum activitywas determined in all subjects using a reporter cell assay. The rs1990760 SNP of the interferon-inducedhelicase 1 gene was genotyped in ATD patients.Results: Serum type I IFN activity was increased in patients with ATD and T1DM compared to controls (p-values: 0.002 and 0.04, respectively). ATD patients with high type I IFN serum activity had increased prevalence of antibodies against thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and cardiopulmonary manifestations compared to those with low IFN activity. Additionally, the presence of micronodules on thyroid ultrasound was associated with higher type I IFN levels. In patients with T1DM, high IFN levels were associated with increased apolipoprotein-B levels.Conclusion: Serumtype I IFN activity is increased in ATD and T1DM and is associated with specific clinical, serological, and imaging features. These findings may implicate type I IFN pathway in the pathogenesis of specific features of organ-specific autoimmunity.
KW - Autoimmune thyroid disease
KW - Organ-specific autoimmunity
KW - Type I diabetes
KW - Type I interferon
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U2 - 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00238
DO - 10.3389/fimmu.2013.00238
M3 - Article
C2 - 23966997
AN - SCOPUS:84883699617
SN - 1664-3224
VL - 4
JO - Frontiers in immunology
JF - Frontiers in immunology
IS - AUG
M1 - Article 238
ER -