lactoferrin and Thyroid-Diseases

The effect of oral administration of lactoferrin (LF) was studied to determine if it could modify post-surgical immune response. The action of LF was evaluated in 18 LF-treated patients vs 28 placebo counterparts. Patients (women and men, mean age 50 years) were given daily oral doses (20 mg each) of LF for 5 consecutive days prior to thyroid surgery. The following immune response parameters were determined in blood samples taken from the patients day before, day after, and 5-7 days following surgery: cell morphology, the proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to phytohemagglutinin, and the spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced production of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). As a consequence of the thyroid surgery, the total leukocyte count increased on the post-operative day by about 50% in all patients and the percentage of lymphocytes fell by 26 and 35% in the control vs LF-treated group. The content of neutrophils, on the other hand, elevated on day 1 post-operation by 51 and 68%, respectively. The percent of neutrophil precursors was markedly higher in LF-treated patients, particularly on the day before and the day after surgery (4.1 and 4.8 vs 2.5 and 3.7%, respectively). The post-surgical values were, however, comparable in both groups for neutrophils. The proliferative response of lymphocytes showed a slight decrease in the control group and an increase in the LF-treated patients on day 5 post-operation (20% over control group). LPS-induced TNF-alpha production was higher in LF-treated patients both one day before and one day following surgery (28 and 24%, respectively). LPS-induced IL-6 production was comparable in both placebo and LF-treated patients before surgery, however, on day 1 and 5 following surgery, the production of IL-6 was higher in LF-treated patients by 65 and 27%, respectively. Taken together, the data presented in this study revealed an increased immune responsiveness in all patients treated with LF and subjected to thyroid surgery. This suggests that treatment with LF could constitute an effective protective measure against post-surgical complications.

Topics: Adjuvants, Immunologic; Administration, Oral; Blood Cell Count; Blood Cells; Double-Blind Method; Female; Humans; In Vitro Techniques; Interleukin-6; Lactoferrin; Lymphocyte Activation; Male; Middle Aged; Phytohemagglutinins; Postoperative Complications; Thyroid Diseases; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha

To explore the differential expressions of lysozyme C and lactoferrin in tears of thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) patients versus healthy subjects by proteomics.. Tear samples were obtained from patients with active period TAO and age and gender-matched healthy subjects without symptoms of ocular surface. Then they were divided into patient and control groups. Then tear samples of two groups were analyzed. sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of 15% gel was performed to determine the different protein bands in sample groups. And different labeled protein bands were collected for in-gel tryptic digestion. Mass spectrometry was employed to determine the protein components from different protein bands. Then Scaffold search engine was used for analyzing the results of mass spectrometry and identifying specific proteins.. Based on mass spectrometric analysis of different protein bands, most proteins were down-regulated or became absent in TAO patients. Both lysozyme C and lactoferrin were up-regulated. Identification of protein relative quantitative ratio (patient/control): lysozyme C: 4.88, lactoferrin: 1.61.. Lysozyme C and lactoferrin are two important effectors of tear function and metabolism. Both are up-regulated in TAO patients' tears. Thus both are probably involved in inflammatory process of TAO and play synergistic roles in the pathogenesis of disease.

Topics: Down-Regulation; Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; Graves Ophthalmopathy; Humans; Lactoferrin; Mass Spectrometry; Muramidase; Proteomics; Tears; Thyroid Diseases; Up-Regulation

Topics: Adenocarcinoma, Follicular; Adenoma; Biomarkers, Tumor; Carcinoma, Papillary; Ceruloplasmin; Gene Expression Regulation; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lactoferrin; Reproducibility of Results; Secretory Component; Sensitivity and Specificity; Thyroid Diseases; Thyroid Neoplasms

The expression of lactoferrin (LF), ceruloplasmin (CP) and secretory component (SC) in various thyroid diseases was investigated using an immunohistochemical method. LF is an iron-binding protein overexpressed in certain human adenocarcinomas. CP is implicated in carcinogenesis and SC is part of the local immune defense system. Sections of 15 follicular adenomas, 5 follicular carcinomas (FC), 16 papillary carcinomas (PC), 15 goitres and 2 cases of lymphocytic thyroiditis were re-examined and investigated immunohistologically by a streptavidin-biotin method. A positive immunostain reaction for CP and LF was observed in all cases of PC and FC. A positive immunostain reaction for SC was observed in 13/16 cases of PC and 4/5 cases of FC. A negative immunostain reaction for CP, LF and SC was observed in medullary cancers, in follicular adenomas and in the cases with goitre. We conclude that the immunostain expression of LF, CP and SC is a valuable diagnostic aid in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant thyroid tumors. The expression of SC indicates the presence of a local immunodefensive system.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma, Follicular; Adenoma; Carcinoma, Papillary; Ceruloplasmin; Diagnosis, Differential; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Lactoferrin; Secretory Component; Thyroid Diseases; Thyroid Neoplasms