IMMUNOLOGICAL DISTURBANCES IN TOXIC MULTINODULAR GOITRE AND ACTIVE GRAVES’DISEASE

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Abstract
Cell-mediated and humoral immunity were studied in 17 patients with toxic multinodular goiter, 10 with active Graves'' disease and 14 healthy controls. The study included determination of sheep erythrocyte and complement rosette-forming cells in the peripheral blood, Ig levels, titers of microsomal antibodies and migration inhibition test using thyroid extract and phytohemagglutinin. When compared with controls, the patients showed a positive response to thyroid antigen in the leukocyte migration inhibition test. Microsomal antibodies were detected in 7 of 10 active Graves'' disease patients against 2 of 17 of those with toxic multinodular goiter. Significantly increased IgG and IgA and decreased IgM levels were found only in the toxic multinodular group. These data provide further evidence for immunological disturbances in toxic multinodular goiter.