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Updated: Aug 9, 2026
Generation of Human CD40-activated B cells
Published on: October 17, 2009
Human thyroid fibroblasts exhibit a distinctive phenotype in culture: characteristic ganglioside profile and
T J Smith1, G D Sempowski, C S Berenson
1Department of Medicine, Albany Medical College, Samuel S. Stratton Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New York 12208, USA.
Insights
Thyroid fibroblasts display unique characteristics and molecular pathways, enabling communication with immune cells. This study reveals their potential role in thyroid gland inflammation.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Fibroblasts exhibit regional diversity and immune system cross-talk capacity.
- Thyroid fibroblast biology in culture has not been previously examined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the biology of human thyroid fibroblasts in culture.
- To investigate their potential for immune cell communication and inflammatory responses.
Main Methods:
- Thyroid explants were cultured, and fibroblasts were serially passaged.
- Morphology, ganglioside profiles, and surface marker expression (Thy-1, CD40, HLA-DR) were analyzed.
- Responses to prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), interferon-gamma (IFN-γ), and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β) were assessed, including cytokine and nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) activity.
Main Results:
- Thyroid fibroblasts adopted a stellate morphology upon PGE2 treatment, similar to orbital fibroblasts.
- They expressed Thy-1 and constitutively low levels of CD40, with IFN-γ significantly upregulating CD40 and HLA-DR.
- CD40 engagement activated NF-κB and increased interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-8 expression; IL-1β treatment upregulated IL-1α, IL-1β, and PGE2.
Conclusions:
- Thyroid fibroblasts possess molecular mechanisms for cross-talk with lymphocytes and mast cells via the CD40/CD40 ligand (CD40L) pathway.
- They can participate in thyroid gland inflammatory responses through cytokine networks and CD40 signaling.
Abstract:
Fibroblasts from different regions of the human body exhibit substantial phenotypic diversity, some of which relates to the capacity for cross-talk with cells of the immune system. We examine, for the first time, thyroid fibroblast biology in culture. Thyroid explants were placed in culture, and fibroblasts were outgrown and serially passaged. These fibroblasts take on a morphology in culture resembling cells from other anatomic regions. When treated with PGE2, they assume a stellate morphology similar to that of prostanoid-treated orbital fibroblasts. The ganglioside profile exhibited by these cells is distinct from that observed previously in orbital and dermal fibroblasts. They uniformly express Thy-1, a surface glycoprotein. Messenger RNA encoding CD40, a surface receptor found on bone marrow-derived cells, and CD40 protein were expressed constitutively at low levels. Interferon-gamma (500 U/ml) treatment for 48-72 h resulted in high levels of surface HLA-DR and CD40 display. When CD40 is engaged with CD40 ligand (CD40L), nuclear factor-kappaB binding activity is up-regulated as is interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8 expression. IL-1beta treatment up-regulates the expression of IL-1alpha, IL-1beta, and PGE2. These observations suggest that thyroid fibroblasts possess the molecular machinery necessary for cross-talk with immunocompetent cells such as lymphocytes and mast cells through the CD40/CD40L complex, as well as through classic cytokine networks, and to participate potentially in the inflammatory response of the thyroid gland.
