Iodine activates NLRP3 inflammasomes in PBMCs of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and regulates Th1 and Th17 cell differentiation

作者：Ying Wu, Qingling Guo, Yongping Liu, Xun Gong, Wei Sun, Yushu Li, Chenling Fan, Weiping Teng, Zhongyan Shan · 发表于：Endocrine Connections · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1530/ec-24-0456 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Inflammasome and immune disorders、Thyroid Disorders and Treatments、Osteomyelitis and Bone Disorders Research

Objectives: Inflammasomes are associated with various autoimmune diseases. Herein, we aimed to study the occurrence of inflammasomes in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT), and the relationship between their abundance and the inflammatory response index of AIT. Furthermore, we examined the effect of iodine on inflammasomes containing NLR family pyrin domain-containing 3 (NLRP3) and inflammasome activation of helper T (Th) cell differentiation regulation in cultured PBMCs. Methods: We collected PBMCs and serum samples from 50 patients with AIT with normal thyroid function and 50 controls matched for age and sex. In PBMCs, the mRNA and protein expressions of certain inflammasome constituents (e.g., NLRP1, NLRP3, absent in melanoma 2 (AIM2) and caspase-1), interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 were assessed using qRT-PCR and western blotting. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) assessed the serum levels of IL-1β and IL-18. Flow cytometry was employed to examine NLRP3 expression on CD14+ monocytes and Th1 and Th17 cell percentages in the groups. AIT- or healthy control-derived PBMCs were stimulated using sodium iodide, with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) for 72 h. Results: PBMCs from patients with AIT had significantly higher levels of pro-IL-18, pro-IL-1β and NLRP3 than did the PBMCs from the healthy controls (P < 0.05). Compared with those from the controls, AIT-derived PBMCs had enhanced levels of active IL-18 and act...