Thyroidal Iodoproteins in Endemic Cretins

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The thyroid proteins of 7 endemic cretins were studied by several techniques. All patients presented a nodular goiter; only one presented evidence of hypothyroidism. The investigations disclosed an increase in the relative proportion of an iodinated protein with a sedimentation coefficient of approximately 4.2 S. This protein has an electrophoretic mobility in veronal buffer and immunological reactions similar to those observed with serum albumin. The histopathologic diagnosis in each and every case was of follicular adenoma: autohistoradiography showed the presence of hyperfunctioning areas embedded by fibrotic stroma. Hydrolysis of the thyroid protein extracts showed an increased content of monoiodotyrosine in relation to diiodotyrosine.