Electrokinetic potential of blood lymphocytes in autoimmune ophthalmopathy in patients with diffuse toxic goiter

Abstract

Electrophoretic mobility (ЕРМ) of blood lymphocytes was studied in 103 patients with diffuse toxic goiter (DTG) and autoimmune ophthalmopathy (AO) and 30 healthy controls in order to assess the value of this parameter as a criterion of AO severity and assessment of the efficacy of therapy of AO. The patients were in a state of drug-induced euthyrosis. A О was treated traditionally (nonsteroid antiinflammatory drugs, glucocorticoids, and glucocorticoids combined with radiotherapy of the orbits), depending on the severity of the condition. The distribution of blood lymphocytes by EPM is notably changed in AO. The electrokinetic potential of lymphocytes inversely correlates with the severity of AO. Specific therapy for AO results in increase of lymphocyte EPM in 14 days and its normalization in 28 days. Significant changes of lymphocyte EPM anticipate the statistically significant positive changes of the orbital index and can serve as an early criterion for assessing the efficacy of treatment of AO.