Abstract
Despite the interest of researchers in IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD), many questions still remain unanswered regarding the thyroid gland. We aimed to clarify the relationship between IgG4-positive plasma cells and the histopathological pattern in the Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) in a Finnish series. HT specimens (n=280) were retrieved from the Department of Pathology, Fimlab Laboratories. After re-evaluation, 82 (29%) cases (72 females and 10 males, 52±17years) with significant fibrosis were selected. CD38, IgG and IgG4 positivity in plasma cells was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Adjusted IgG4-positive plasma cells per HPF>20 and IgG4- to IgG-positive plasma cell ratio>30% were adopted as threshold criteria and related to other morphological features. IgG4-positive HT group included 13 cases (15% from fibrotic HT, 4.6% from all HT, 50±15years, 11 females) with adjusted HPF count 30±5 (23-40) IgG4-positive cells. IgG4-positivity significantly correlated with the presence of lobulation, oncocytic metaplasia and certain type of fibrosis, fibrosis spread outside the gland, lymphocytes/plasma cells epithelial penetration, the predominance of microfollicles and follicular atrophy in the present study. Despite the persisting uncertainty whether HT is IgG4-RD, HT with IgG4-positive plasma cells is histopathologically distinct entity with some geographic variability.
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