Abnormal Binding of Thyroid Hormone in Sera from Patients with Hashimoto's Disease1

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Abstract
Thyroid hormone binding was studied in the sera of 15 patients with Hashimoto's disease by conventional paper and gel electrophoretic techniques utilizing 125I-T4. In 6 out of 15 Hashimoto sera radioactivity distribution was seen at the gamma globulin region, in addition to interalpha globulin and albumin areas. The specificity of thyroxine-gamma globulin protein interaction was established by various concurrent control procedures as well as by radioautography. Furthermore, such abnormal T4-protein interactions were also noticed under varying conditions of pH, buffer and media. When abnormal sera were absorbed with nonradioactive thyroxine (up to 200 μg/ml) prior to electrophoresis, the distribution of 125I-T4 at the gamma globulin region was not affected, while the interalpha radioactivity peak was completely displaced. All but one of these sera showed a high titer of thyroglobulin antibody as determined by Boyden's hemagglutination technique. In one instance, a thyroidectomy specimen showed fairly advanced Hashimoto's disease, while the serum from the same individual failed to demonstrate thyroglobulin antibody by either the TRC hemagglutination or the complement fixation technique. Based on these observations the possibility of a separate disease entity involving the thyroid gland is suggested—a group showing the lesion of Hashimoto's disease associated with a high TRC titer and an abnormal serum globulin component which binds thyroxine.