BREG cells in Hashimoto's thyroiditis isolated or associated to further organ-specific autoimmune diseases

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) may occur isolated or associated with other non-endocrine autoimmune disorders (NEAD). No data are available about Breg cells in these disorders and this represented the aim of the study. Th17 and Breg cells subset were characterized on peripheral blood mononuclear cells isolated from 18 healthy donors (HD), 19 patients with isolated HT and 26 patients with HT + NEAD. Th17 were higher in patients with isolated HT than in HD but no further changes were seen in patients with HT + NEAD. CD24hiCD38hi unstimulated Breg cells were similar in HT patients and in HD, but significantly higher in patients with HT + NEAD than in both HT and in HD. CD19+ CD24hiCD27+ Breg memory phenotype was similar in HD and in HT patients, but decreased in patients with HT + NEAD (23.4%vs38.5%). Upon CpG-stimulation, CD24hiCD38hi IL-10+ Breg cells were higher in HT patients than in HD (3.9%vs1.8%) but similar in patients with HT + NEAD (2.4%).