RETROVIRUS-LIKE SEQUENCES IN GRAVES' DISEASE: IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN AUTOIMMUNITY

[Annikki]

This is an older study, published in The Lancet back in 1989:

"RETROVIRUS-LIKE SEQUENCES IN GRAVES' DISEASE: IMPLICATIONS FOR HUMAN AUTOIMMUNITY"

• Anna Ciampolillo
• Rita Mirakian
• Thomas Schulz
• Vittoria Marini
• Massimo Buscema
• Ricardo Pujol-Borrell
• et al.

On Southern blotting of DNA extracted from thyroid glands of five patients with Graves' disease, two probes (720 bp and 942 bp) for gaghuman immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) gave a positive hybridisation signal in all samples tested. DNAs from peripheral blood mononuclear cells hybridised with the 720 bp gag HIV-1 probe in three of the five patients, none of whom had antibodies to HIV-1. Negative results were obtained with DNA from normal thyroid glands, thyroid neoplasms, various unrelated normal tissues, and virus-infected human cell lines. The intensity of the signal and the pattern of bands observed with the DNA of Graves' patients were heterogeneous and, in general, were not the same in the thyroid glands and peripheral blood mononuclear cells of individual patients. Similarly, no correlation was found between the positive hybridisation signals and other genetic and immunological indices or the duration of anti-thyroid drug treatment at the time the patients were investigated. The findings suggest the presence of a novel retrovirus, and the retrovirus-like sequences seem to be closely associated with thyroid autoimmunity.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(89)92382-9/fulltext

This is supported by findings from a study at Tulane University in 1997:

Retroviral involvement in autoimmune disease: Serological and genetic evidence
https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:23612

The potential role for retroviruses in systemic autoimmune disease increased following the isolation of Human intracisternal A-type retroviral particles (HIAP) froom cells co-cultured with autoimmune patient tissue. At the serological level, using western blots and other immunoassays, we have examined the relationship between apparent immune reactions to HIAP-I (or a similar retrovirus) and autoimmune disease. In Graves' disease we have demonstrated the presence of antibodies to a set of HIAP-I antigens, suggesting that a similar to HIAP may have a role in Graves' disease pathogenesis. In systemic lupus erythematosus, a role for HIAP is strengthened by a series of very significant serological correlations between known autoantigens and HIAP-I. Our study of Sjogren's syndrome (SS) serology confirms the presence of anti-retroviral antibodies in SS patients, the correlation of antibodies to the known SS autoantigens (SS-A, SS-B), and demonstrated the presence of other anti-retroviral antibodies in SS. Also noted in this study was an antigenic similarity between HIAP-I and human T lymphotrophic viruses (HTLV-I/II) was noted in a comparison of diabetic serum reactivity to the proteins of these two retroviruses In an examination of potential animal models of retroviral involvement in autoimmune disease (Graves' disease), we have shown a correlation between feline hyperthyroidism and seroreactivity to HIAP-I. Canine hypothyroidism demonstrated no similar correlation. An ancillary study of leukemia virus infected animals demonstrated that HIAP-I and FeLV may share some level of antigenic similarity In characterizing HIAP-I, this study demonstrates that: (1) HIAP-I producing cultures (MSC) show greater antigenic similarity to HIV-1 than either HIAP-II producing cells or the parent strain; (2) three specific proteins of HIAP-I were sized by western blot, with the identification of a cross-reactive HIV epitope; (3) the absence of proviral plasmid DNA in the MSC cells suggests that HIAP-I is a replication compromised retrovirus Finally, a genetic examination of HIAP-I may have identified a sequence related to HIAP-I's transformation of MSC cells. Through the use of low stringency hybridization and PCR we have also shown that the genome of HIAP-I is more divergent from that of HTLV-I and HIV-1 than other means of analysis may suggest...

I wrote another post about how disparate autoimmune diseases tend to be comorbid.
I've also heard thyroid problems occur frequently CFS. Right now I don't know enough to say anything definitive about this, but I did have time to find articles about CFS and thyroid problems:

"Chronic Fatigue & Thyroid."
https://yuniquemedical.com/uncategorized/chronic-fatigue-thyroid/

"Chronic fatigue syndrome possibly explained by lower levels of key thyroid hormones"
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/03/180320084337.htm

"The Thyroid Question in Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)"
https://www.healthrising.org/blog/2...-fibromyalgia-chronic-fatigue-syndrome-mecfs/

"Chronic fatigue syndrome: Does the thyroid play a role?"
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321287.php

"Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Thyroid Function"
https://www.prohealth.com/library/chronic-fatigue-syndrome-and-thyroid-function-20332

The two main thyroid disorders are Hashimoto's and Graves Disease. Hashimoto's is an autoimmune disease. I think it's likely thyroid problems are present in more autoimmune diseases.

I was made aware of the first study from reading this study on abnormal HLA-DR expression in interstitial cystitis:

Study: "Abnormal urothelial HLA-DR expression in interstitial cystitis."

"What causes inappropriate HLA-DR expression in intersti-
tial cystitis is not known. A search for mycobacteria in the urineT
and bladder tissues of patients with interstitial cystitis has been
negative on microscopy, culture [26] and using DNA probes
[27], although this does not absolutely exclude atypical fasti-
dious mycobacteria as a possible aetiology of interstitial cystitis.
Inappropriate class I and class II expression is also a feature of
Graves' disease [28] and evidence has been presented of a
possible involvement of retroviruses in this autoimmune thyroid
disease [29]."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1554339/

The article says abnormal HLA-DR expression has been found in many autoimmune diseases. I recall hearing, but have as yet to corroborate that thyroid dysfunction is always present in interstitial cystitis. I know that elevated body temperature is always present in feline interstitial cystitis, and that the thyroid is the prime regulator of body temperature.