THYROID ADENYLATE CYCLASE STIMULATING IMMUNOGLOBULINS IN THYROID DISEASES

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Abstract
The occurrence of serum immunoglobulins [Ig] with capacity to stimulate thyroid adenylate cyclase (TSAb) was studied in 72 healthy volunteers and 120 unselected patients with various thyroid diseases. A high frequency of TSAb (82.5%, P < 0.00006) was found in Graves'' disease, while TSAb was present only in 13-20% of serum from patients with nontoxic nodular goiter, nontoxic diffuse goiter, toxic adenoma, toxic nodular goiter and myxedema. These patients had low level of TSAb compared to patients with Graves'' disease. In patients with Graves'' disease there was no correlation between the level of TSAb and hormonal status except serum triiodothyronine (rs [significant correlation coefficient] = 0.29, P < 0.05), and no relation with eye involvement or presence of microsomal thyroid antibodies was found. The human thyroid adenylate cyclase assay system with 1 h incubation periods is a sensitive method for detection of Ig with TSH-like capacity to stimulate the thyroid gland.