Neutrophils from Brazilian patients with Graves' disease: some biochemical and functional aspects

Graves' disease shows important systemic inflammatory complications and has been considered to be systemic autoimmune thyroid, skeletal muscle and connective tissue syndrome. Neutrophils participate in the pathophysiology of the two major immune and inflammatory manifestations of the disease, ophthalmopathy and myxedema, and may worsen the inflammatory picture. In this study we analysed some biochemical and functional aspects of neutrophils in Graves' disease patients to assess their participation in these processes. The results show that the complement and/or Fcgamma receptor-mediated oxygen radical production by neutrophils was increased when patient cells were compared with controls. However the percentage of cells expressing complement and IgG receptors and the per-cell fluorescence, were similar, indicating that the increased oxidative burst was not due to an abnormal expression of mediating receptors. The production of hydrogen peroxide was also increased in hyperthyroid patient neutrophils as compared to controls. Conversely, antioxidant defences (superoxide dismutase activity and reduced glutathione content) in neutrophils from patients were not significantly different from healthy controls. The liberation of potent oxidative compounds together with the absence of adequate quenching of them by antioxidant mechanisms could be responsible for greater tissue damage in inflammatory conditions, as is the case in ophthalmopathy and myxedema patients. Considering our results and those of other workers, we encourage and suggest an associated antioxidant therapy to complement the conventional anti-thyroid therapy, especially in obvious inflammatory cases and in individuals who smoke.