The Expression Of TSH-β And Its Receptor As Well As TRH Receptor Gene In GI Tract Of Graves' Disease Patients With Hyperthyroidism Accompanied By Chronic Gastritis Or Diarrhea

Aim: Graves' disease is believed to be one of autoimmune thyroid diseases. The patients with Graves' disease usually have goiter, pretibial mexedema and hyperthyroidism, which is characterized by sweating, palpitation and nervousness. Besides this, however, the patients often complain diarrhea and discomfort in the upper abdomen. In order to unveil the mechanism of the symptoms of Graves' disease involved in the gastrointestinal tract, the expression of the TSH-P %TSH-R and TRH-R genes of gastrointestinal tract were studied both in human and mouse.Method: The cDNA fragments were successfully derived of TSH-B,TSH-R and TRH-R gene from the gastrointestinal tissues of patients with Graves' disease and gastritis or Graves' disease associated with diarrhea by reversetranscript - polymerase chain reaction. TSH secreted from the intestinal epithelial cell of fatal was measured by automated chemiluminescence systemwith and without TRH. It is by immunohistochemistry that TSH-R positive cells were detected in the gastrointestinal tissues.Result: The mRNAs of TSH-B, TSH-R and TRH-R gene were expressed in the gastrointestinal tract of patients with or without Graves' disease. Moreover, the TSH-P gene expressed lower in the patients with Graves' diseases than the controls, whereas the TSH-R and TRH-R genes expression seemed to be significantly more in the patients with Graves' disease associated with gastritis, or Graves' disease and diarrhea along than that in controls. The peak secretion of TSH was found at 1 to 1.5 hour, stimulated by TRH (10-7~10-9 M). The TSH-R positive cells in the stomach, duodenum and colon, but the ileum, were shown remarkably more in the patients with Graves' disease and gastritis or diarrhea than that in the controls.Conclusion: The data suggest that the gastrointestinal symptoms in the patients with Graves' disease may be related with the local endocrinopathy and autoimmune abnormalities. Our study will pave a way for the further investigation on Graves' disease.