Natural killer cell activity in patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis

Natural killer (NK) cell activity of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) against k562 human tumor cell targets was studied in patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis. NK activity was measured in a standard 4-hour 51chromium (Cr) release assay. Cytotoxicity was expressed as lytic units (LU)/10(6) PBL. Significantly decreased NK cell activity was demonstrated in both groups of patients, with mean (+/- SE) lytic units of 10.3 (+/- 9.1) and 13.3 (+/- 10.3) for patients with Graves' disease and Hashimoto's thyroiditis, respectively, compared with 36.0 (+/- 26.3) for age- and sex-matched normal subjects. When patients with Graves' disease were analyzed according to their thyroid status; NK activity was significantly depressed in (1) hyperthyroid patients before treatment; (2) hyperthyroid patients receiving antithyroid therapy; and (3) euthyroid patients receiving antithyroid therapy, compared with normal subjects. Graves' disease patients who were hypothyroid after radioactive iodine therapy or thyroidectomy had normal NK activity. No significant differences between hyperthyroid and euthyroid patients or between hypothyroid patients and normal subjects were demonstrated. NK activity in patients with Graves' disease did not correlate with serum levels of thyroxine, the presence or severity of ophthalmopathy, or titers of serum thyroid antibodies. In patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis there was no correlation between NK activity and goiter size, titers of antithyroid antibodies, or thyroid status. These findings suggest that depression of NK activity in both disorders is secondary to abnormalities of thyroid hormone secretion, although an effect of the underlying autoimmune reactions has not been excluded.