IL10 and Graves' disease

Graves’ hyperthyroidism can be experimentally induced in mice by immunisation with recombinant adenovirus expressing the human TSH receptor (TSHR). The response to this is a secretion of interferon γ (IFNγ) and interleukin 10 (IL10). Ueki and colleagues have previously identified the function of IFNγ and sought to elucidate the role of IL10 in the pathogenesis of Graves’ disease. Using IL10 deficient mice, they found that IL10 deficiency results in a lower incidence of Graves’ hyperthyroidism due to impaired B cell function. IL10 is thus a critical cytokine for the pathogenesis of Graves’ hyperthyroidism in mice, alongside IFNγ. Ueki et al. (2011) Journal of Endocrinology 209 353–357.

Read the full article at: DOI:10.1530/JOE-11-0129.