Serum interleukin-23 (IL-23) is increased in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Rosaria Maddalena Ruggeri; Salvatore Saitta; Mariateresa Cristani; Salvatore Giovinazzo; Valeria Tigano; Francesco Trimarchi; Salvatore Benvenga; Sebastiano Gangemi

doi:10.1507/endocrj.EJ13-0484

ORIGINALS

Serum interleukin-23 (IL-23) is increased in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis

Rosaria Maddalena Ruggeri, Salvatore Saitta, Mariateresa Cristani, Salvatore Giovinazzo, Valeria Tigano, Francesco Trimarchi, Salvatore Benvenga, Sebastiano Gangemi

Author information

Rosaria Maddalena Ruggeri
Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Salvatore Saitta
School and Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Mariateresa Cristani
Department Farmaco-Biologico, School of Pharmacy, University of Messina, Italy
Salvatore Giovinazzo
Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Valeria Tigano
School and Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Francesco Trimarchi
Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Salvatore Benvenga
Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Master on Childhood, Adolescent and Women’s Endocrine Health, University of Messina, Italy
Interdepartmental Program of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology & Women’s Health; A.O.U. Policlinico “G. Martino,” Messina, Italy
Sebastiano Gangemi
School and Unit of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, Italy
Institute of Biomedicine and Molecular Immunology “A. Monroy ” (IBIM) - Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (CNR), Italy

Keywords: Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Autoimmune thyroid disease, Interleukin 23, Lymphocytes T-helper 17, Cytokines

JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2014 Volume 61 Issue 4 Pages 359-363

DOI https://doi.org/10.1507/endocrj.EJ13-0484

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Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that T-helper 17 lymphocytes (Th17), which produce mostly IL-17, play a major role in several autoimmune diseases commonly thought to be Th1-related, including Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). IL-23, a member of the IL-12 cytokine family, is known to guide T cells toward the Th17 phenotype and its serum levels are increased in several autoimmune disease. Few data are available in the literature on IL-23 in HT. Using IL-23 Quantikine ELISA Kit (lower limit of detection 2.7 pg/mL) we analyzed the serum levels of IL-23 in 81 HT patients (75 females and 6 males, aged 14-70; mean age 39±17 years), and an age- and sex-matched group of 80 healthy persons. Both patients and controls did not receive any treatment. The positive detection rates of serum IL-23 were significantly higher in patients with HT: 56% of HT patients had detectable IL-23 in serum compared to 36% of healthy subjects (Chi χ² test, p=0.014). Moreover, HT patients had significantly higher serum concentrations of IL-23 (157.38 ± 17.92 pg/mL) in comparison with healthy controls (21.46 ± 5.4 pg/mL; p <0.0001). No significant correlation was found between serum levels of IL-23 and Tg-Ab or TPO-Ab levels, as well as with TSH values, in HT patients. In conclusion, serum IL-23 is increased in euthyroid and untreated HT patients, as compared to healthy subjects. Our data suggest that IL-23 would play a role in the pathogenesis of HT.

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