Serum concentrations of proinflammatory cytokines in Graves' disease: effect of treatment, thyroid function, ophthalmopathy and cigarette smoking

Abstract

Our work shows that: (i) the proinflammatory cytokine pattern in GD is greatly influenced by antithyroid drug treatment; (ii) the increased circulating IL-6/sIL-6R concentrations observed in patients with active TAO may derive from the activation of humoral reactions in sites other than the thyroid; and, (iii) cigarette smoking has no effect on serum IL-1/IL-1Ra concentrations in TAO.