In vitro effects of tumor necrosis factor-\g=a\ on human

follicular cells

thyroid

Ulrich Deuss, Massimo Buscema, Heike Schumacher and Werner Winkelmann Klinik ZÍ und Poliklinik für Innere Medizin der Universität zu Köln, Germany; Cattedra di Endocrinología', Ospedale Garibaldi, Catania, Italy

Deuss U, Buscema M, Schumacher H, Winkelmann W. In vitro effects of tumor necrosis factor-a human thyroid follicular cells. Acta Endocrinol 1992;127:220-5. ISSN 0001-5598

on

an important mediator in thyroid autoimmunity. In the have shown that human thyrocytes possess a single specific binding site for recombinant tumor necrosis factor-\g=a\ with an average of 9,300 receptors/cell (Kd 1.9 \m=.\10\m=-\10 mol). The effects of the cytokine on thyroid cell proliferation were assessed by 3H-thymidine uptake as well as by the protein and DNA content of cell monolayers. Low dose tumor necrosis factor-\g=a\ resulted in a moderate stimulation of cell proliferation with an increase of 3H-thymidine incorporation from 44,613\m=+-\7,989 cpm under basal conditions to 63,326 \m=+-\6,822cpm after 100 U/l tumor necrosis factor-\g=a\ (p