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Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model
Published on: March 17, 2023
Thyroid autoimmunity and its association with cellular and humoral immunity in women with reproductive failures
Na Young Kim1, Hye Jin Cho, Heun Yun Kim
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science. North Chicago, IL, USA.
Problem:
thyroid autoimmunity (TAI), which is T helper (Th)1-cell-mediated autoimmunity to thyrocytes, is associated with increased risk of miscarriages and highly prevalent in women with infertility. We aim at investigating the prevalence of TAI in women with recurrent spontaneous abortions (RSA) or unexplained infertility (UI) and its relationship with cellular and humoral immune abnormalities.
Method Of Study:
prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies, anti-nuclear antibody, other non-organ-specific antibodies (NOSAs; anti-dsDNA, anti-ssDNA, anti-histone, anti-Scl70), peripheral blood natural killer (NK) cell levels (%) and cytotoxicity, and CD3(+) /CD4(+) Th1/Th2 cell ratios were compared in women with and without TAI. Thyroid functional tests (TFT) were analyzed in both groups before and after pregnancy.
Results:
tumor necrosis factor-α/IL-10 expressing CD3(+) /CD4(+) cell ratios (P < 0.05), CD56(+) NK cell levels (P < 0.05), the prevalence of anticardiolipin antibodies (P < 0.05) and other NOSAs (P < 0.005) were significantly higher in women with TAI when compared to women without TAI. Changes in thyroid-stimulating hormone levels between before and after pregnancy in women with TAI were significantly higher when compared to those of women without TAI (P < 0.05).
Conclusion:
TAI is associated with impaired cellular and humoral immune responses in women with RSA or UI. In women with TAI, serial TFT is recommended when pregnancy is established.
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