Morphofunctional characteristics of neutrophils in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis

AIM: To study morphofunctional status of neutrophilic polymorphonuclear leukocytes (NPNL) in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAIT). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The morphofunctional status of NPNL was investigated with vital computer phasic morphometry (CPM) in 25 patients (24 females and 1 male, mean age 45.4 +/- 3.2 years) with verified CAIT and 20 healthy females. Solid phase enzyme immunoassay examined the serum for IL-8 content. RESULTS: CAIT patients have characteristic features of neutrophil morphofunctional state (changed cell size, disproportion in population morphological structure), IL-8 level was 13.9 fold higher than normal--63.8 pg/ml. CONCLUSION: CAIT patients demonstrate activation of the mechanisms which regulate cell nonspecific resistence. As a result, locomotor, secretory and phagocytic NPNL functions enhance. Changes detected may reflect severity of the pathological process and indicate growing autoaggression in CAIT patients.