Dendritic cells in autoimmune disorders and cancer of the thyroid

Dendritic cells (DCs), considered as one of the crucial immune regulatory populations, are implicated in the immune pathology of various disorders. Also in the thyroid gland, DCs were shown to be involved in early and chronic phases of various types of autoimmunity — including Hashimoto's thyroiditis and Graves' disease. In thyroid malignant processes, DCs are suggested as an important element of both tumour defence and tumour immune evasion mechanisms. Recent findings emphasize a crucial role of interactions between particular DC subsets and other regulatory cell populations (e.g. FoxP3+ regulatory T cells) in thyroid pathology. Additionally, an increasing attention has been paid to the control of DC function by thyrometabolic conditions. (Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica 2014, Vol. 52, No. 1, 18–28)