Heat shock protein 60 mRNA is not increased in Graves' disease thyroid tissue

Heat shock proteins (hsps) are highly conserved proteins which carry vital functions by assisting intracellular protein transport and degregation. Hsps of the 60-kD family have been shown to be strongly immunogenic and to be overexpressed in many autoimmune diseases. Hsp60 reactive T cells from thyroids from patients with Graveś disease have been isolated, but hsp60 expression in Graveś disease has not been investigated. We therefore investigated the expression of hsp60 mRNA in thyroids from patients with Graveś disease and from non autoimmune controls. Expression of hsp60 mRNA could be detected in all Graveś disease thyroids. This expression was not influenced by preoperative treatment with antithyroid drugs. Hsp60 mRNA was expressed in non autoimmune controls, too. There was no quantitative difference between autoimmune thyroids and controls, revealed by computer scanning of Northern blots. Our results demonstrate, that in contrast to some other autoimmune diseases hsp60 mRNA is not overexpressed in thyroids from patients with Graveś disease.