Expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein‐1 mRNA and protein in cultured human thyrocytes

Monocytes as well as lymphocytes infiltrate in the stroma of thyroid tissue in autoimmune and destructive thyroiditis. Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) is a cytokine that attracts T-lymphocytes as well as monocytes. Using human thyrocytes in primary cultures, we show that expression of MCP-1 mRNA and protein is remarkably stimulated by both interleukin-1 (IL-1) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and also that interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by itself is a weak stimulant but has a synergistic activity with either IL-1 or TNF-alpha. The finding indicates that MCP-1 can be produced by thyrocytes themselves, suggesting a possible role of thyrocytes on accumulation of monocytes and T-lymphocytes to the tissue from the blood in autoimmune and destructive thyroiditis.