No restriction of intrathyroidal T cell receptor Vα families in the thyroid of Graves' disease

Abstract

SUMMARY Recently it has been reported that the intrathyroidal T cells in Graves'disease display restriction in Vα T cell receptor (TcR) gene family usage, although this is not found with TcR Vβ gene families in the same individuals. We have performed a qualitative analysis of TcR Vα family usage in 12 patients with Graves'disease by reverse transcription and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of RNA extracted from isolated, unstimulated intrathyroidal lymphocytes and from snap-frozen whole thyroid specimens. No restriction was observed, with 10–15 Vα gene families being amplified in all cases. The pattern of usage was similar to that in peripheral blood lymphocytes derived from normal subjects (n = 3) and from patients with Graves'disease (n = 3), as well as that present in the thyroids of patients with non-autoimmune toxic multinodular goitre (n = 4). These results indicated that there is no marked restriction of the unselected intrathyroidal T cell population in patients with Graves'disease who have been treated with antithyroid drugs.