[Hormones, cytokines and macroglobulines in blood of women with autoimmune thyroid diseases].

Aim: To study proportions of hormones, cytokines and macroglobulins in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Material And Methods: Participants of the study were 28 females aged 43 +/- 5 years with diffuse toxic goiter (DTG), 31 females aged 41 +/- 6 years with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and 26 controls (n = 26) free of thyroid pathology aged 40 +/- 4 years. DTG and AIT diagnoses were confirmed by ultrasound and laboratory examinations.

Results: Both autoimmune diseases were accompanied by a significant rise of serum IL-6 and fall of TNF-alpha levels vs those in the controls. In AIT interferon-gamma was higher than in DTG while in DTG alpha-2-macroglobulin rose higher but TNF-alpha reduced more than in AIT.

Conclusion: It is suggested that an elevated level of interferon-gamma in AIT contributes to blockade of endocytosis of peptid hormones and cytokines transported by macroglobulins. Overproduction of IL-6 in DTG may be caused by deficiency of its antagonist--TNF-gamma leading to an increase in macroglobulin concentration, its gene inductor is the above interleukin.