Expression Of FOXP3, GITR And CD25 Genes In Peripheral Blood Of Patients With Graves' Disease

[Objective] To investigate the roles of FOXP3, GITR and CD25 genes in the pathogenesis of different stages of Graves'disease.[Methods] From February 2009 to July 2009 in Qilu Hospital affiliated to Shandong University, Ninty cases of Graves'disease were collected. All the patients were out-patients and consistent with Graves'disease diagnostic criteria:(1) clinical symptoms and signs of hyperthyroidism; (2) diffuse thyroid enlargement (palpation or ultrasoud-confirmed), a small number of cases can be no goiter; (3) lower serum TSH concentration, and thyroid hormone concentration increased. (4) exclude other thyroid diseases. Patients were selected except for liver and kidney disease, malignant tumors and other infectious diseases, not using other immunosuppressive agents. All objects were divided into three groups:30 cases of newly diagnosed of Graves'disease (13 men, 17 women); 30 cases of disease remission group (10 men,20 women); 30 cases of disease recurrence group (11 men,19 women).30 normal persons (14 men,16 women) served as healthy controls. The levels of FOXP3, GITR and CD25mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells were measured by Light Cycler fluorescence quantitative PCR instrument, and the levels of serum thyroid hormone, TPOAb and TGAb were measured by electrochemiluminescence.[Results] The level of FOXP3 mRNA in each Graves'disease group was significantly lower than that of healthy controls (P<0.05), the FOXP3 mRNA level in the remission group was significantly higher than that of the newly diagnosed group (P<0.05), and the FOXP3 mRNA level in the recurrence group was lower than that of the remission group (P<0.05) but higher than that of the newly diagnosed group (P<0.05). The level of FOXP3 mRNA in female Graves'disease patients was significantly higher than that of male Graves'disease patients (P<0.05). The levels of GITR mRNA and CD25 mRNA in the newly diagnosed and the recurrence groups increased compared with that in the healthy controls (P<0.05).[Conclusions] The FOXP3, GITR and CD25 genes may be involved in the process of Graves'disease and its recurrence.