Parvovirus B19 infection associated with Hashimoto's thyroiditis in adults
Accepted 7 February 2010. published online 08 March 2010.
Summary
Objective
Parvovirus B19 is a common human pathogen, which has been linked to autoimmune diseases recently. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether B19 is involved in adult Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).
Methods
Eighty-six thyroid tissues from the adult patients with a spectrum of thyroid disorders were examined for B19 DNA and capsid protein by nested PCR, in-situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. The presence of viral DNA in HT epithelium was studied by laser-capture microdissection and sequencing of PCR products. The expressions of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) and interleukin-6 were investigated by immunohistochemistry.
Results
B19 DNA was significantly present in HT tissues by both PCR (29/32, 90.6%) and in-situ hybridization (23/32, 71.9%, all p < 0.01) compared with normal thyroid tissue (7/16, 43.8%; 2/16, 12.5%). Laser-capture microdissection further confirmed this difference. B19 capsid protein in HT group was significantly higher than that in all the control groups (p < 0.01), and the expression of NF-κB and interleukin-6 in HT tissues was up-regulated. NF-κB was well co-localized with B19 protein in thyroid epithelia by double-labeling immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy.
Conclusions
The presence of B19 nuclear acid and viral protein was significantly common in HT tissues and it suggested a possible role of B19 in adult HT.
aState Key Laboratory of Cancer Biology, Department of Pathology, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, No. 17, Changle West Road, Xi’an 710032, PR China
bDepartment of Pathology, Xi'an Central Hospital, Xi’an 710003, PR China
cDepartment of Histopathology, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Cambridge CB2 2QQ, UK
dDepartment of Pathology, Tangdu Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710038, PR China
ABSTRACT