МОРФОЛОГИЧЕСКИЕ ОСОБЕННОСТИ ФОЛЛИКУЛОВ ЩИТОВИДНОЙ ЖЕЛЕЗЫ И СОСТАВ ИНТРАТИРЕОИДНЫХ ЛИМФОЦИТОВ ПРИ БОЛЕЗНИ ГРЕЙВСА

The accumulation of T lymphocytes in the thyroid parenchyma in autoimmune hyperthyroidism is strongly restricted and may indicate the primary role of T cells in the development of Graves' disease (GD). However, the mechanisms of lymphocytes invasive activity in thyroid gland, as well as morphological rearrangement of the thyroid parenchyma in GD are still unknown. The aim of the present study was to establish the morphological features of thyroid follicles and the intrathyroidal lymphocyte subsets in GD. The results of the conducted studies showed that the outcome of tissue-specific autoimmunity and long term antithyroid therapy in GD patients is a rearrangement of the thyroid epithelium with histopathologic signs of  Hashimoto's thyroiditis, especially in case of  the disease reccurence. In group of GD disease relapse patients the percentage of CD3 + CD4 + CD127 Low CD25 High and B1 memory cells were increased (p<0,001), with a decrease in the content of T-activated and cytotoxic activated T-cells, as well as the population of B1 lymphocytes (p<0,01), in comparison with the level estimated in patients with the newly diagnosed disease. In conclusion, our results indicate that intrathyroidal T cell aggression in phase of autoimmune hyperthyroidism, followed by antithyroid therapy, intrathyroidal accumulation of  antithyroid  drugs with restotaration of  the euthyroid state could be the cause of morphofunctional reactions of  the thyroid  tissue that can make a significant contribution to the immunopathogenesis of the disease.