Pro- and anti-angiogenic VEGF mRNAs in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationships between five different splice isoforms of VEGF mRNA and its plasma levels in individuals treated for autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITD); mainly Graves' disease (GD) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). In a population from Tunisia, levels of thyroid hormones and antibodies were quantified simultaneously with plasma VEGF and VEGF mRNA isoforms after a period of 6 months of patients' treatment. Plasma VEGF was measured in 110 AITD patients (21 GD and 89 HT patients).