Immune characteristics of organospacific autoimmune endocrine diseases

We have studied the amount of main peripheral blood lymphoid subsets, levels of serum immunoglobulins of G, A, M classes and of low and mediate molecular mass circulating immune complexes, and spontaneous production of cytokines (IL- 10, IL-6, TNFa,IFNy) by peripheral lymphocytes and serum level of IL-10 in patients with 1 type diabetes mellitus,Graves'disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis. For these diseases common immunologic features have been established: inefficacy of apoptotic processes (parallel increase of percent amount of peripheral blood lymphocytes expressing CD95, and decrease of lymphocytes bearing co-receptor molecules CD28 and CD152), increase of circulating immune complexes of low and mediate molecular mass, relative deficit of peripheral T-lymphocytes, dysbalance of cytokines with pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory action. Indicated data reflect immunopathologic pattern of autoimmune process sustaining.