1. B cells from anti-thyroid antibody positive, infertile women show hyper-reactivity to BCR stimulation
- Author
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Timea Serény-Litvai, Anna Bajnok, Viktoria Temesfoi, Jasper Nörenberg, Greta Pham-Dobor, Ambrus Kaposi, Akos Varnagy, Kalman Kovacs, Sandor Pentek, Tamas Koszegi, Emese Mezosi, and Timea Berki
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Thyroxine ,Hypothyroidism ,Immunology ,Humans ,Immunology and Allergy ,Female ,Hashimoto Disease ,Infertility, Female ,Autoantibodies - Abstract
Anti-thyroid antibody (ATA) positivity affects 1 out of 9 women in childbearing age and presents a significant risk for infertility. Emerging evidence indicates that alterations in the B cell receptor induced calcium (Ca2+) signaling could be key in the development of autoimmunity. We aimed to investigate the Ca2+flux response of B lymphocyte subsets to BCR stimulation in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and related infertility. We collected peripheral blood samples from ATA+, infertile, euthyroid patients (HIE), hypothyroid, ATA+ patients before (H1) and after levothyroxine treatment (H2), and age-matched healthy controls (HC). All B cell subsets of ATA+, infertile, euthyroid patients showed elevated basal Ca2+level and hyper-responsivity to BCR ligation compared to the other groups, which could reflect altered systemic immune function. The Ca2+flux of hypothyroid patients was similar to healthy controls. The levothyroxine-treated patients had decreased prevalence of CD25+B cells and lower basal Ca2+level compared to pre-treatment. Our results support the role of altered Ca2+flux of B cells in the early phase of thyroid autoimmunity and infertility.
- Published
- 2022
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