Study on the relationship between hyperthyroidism and immune function

Objective To elucidate the role of T helper (Th) cell immune and CD137 in the pathogenesis of hyperthyroidism, we analyzed the differences in the expression levels of cytokines and CD137 in peripheral blood monocytes (PBMC) among hyperthyroidism patients before and after the intervention of antithyroid drug (ATD) and normal subjects. Methods 81 patients with hyperthyroidism diagnosed in the Department of Endocrinology of the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from April 2021 to April 2022 were selected as the pre-intervention group, of which 25 patients were treated with ATD as the post-intervention group (the average treatment time was 129.84 days), and 83 cases of healthy medical subjects examined in our physical examination center as the normal group during the same period; We analyzed the differences in plasma concentrations of multiple cytokines, as well as the expression levels of sCD137 in plasma and CD137 on T and B lymphocytes. Results Patients with hyperthyroidism may have both pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses, and the immune responses of Th1, Th2, and Th17 may all be involved in the pathogenesis of hyperthyroidism, while patients with hyperthyroidism still have active immune responses after drug intervention; patients with hyperthyroidism may have humoral hyperimmunity before and after intervention, and the activation ability of T cells in patients with hyperthyroidism is enhanced. Conclusion These results showed that the expression of Th1, Th2, and Th17 cytokines was altered in hyperthyroidism patients and that the co-stimulatory molecule CD137 may be an important marker of immune activity in hyperthyroidism.