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Thyroid growth stimulating activity in highly purified IgG-fractions of patients with nonimmune thyroid diseases

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Abstract

Two different proliferation assays have been used to measure the proliferative potential of IgG-fractions from 57 patients with nontoxic goiter of an iodine-deficient area: primary human thyroid epithelial cells (TEC) and the thouroughly investigated FRTL-5 cell line. IgG-fractions from patients with nontoxic goiter (n = 30), nontoxic recurrent goiter (n = 8), toxicnodular goiter (n = 15) and carcinoma of the thyroid (n = 4) were highly purified on DEAE-Sepharose and additionaly Protein A-Sepharose in some cases. The two proliferation assays gave contradictory results: primary cultures of human thyroid epithelial cells (TEC) could not be stimulated by any of the patient’s IgG-fractions nor by bTSH. The FRTL-5 cells, however, were stimulated with 10 µU/ml bTSH by 326% ± 96% (range: 222% — 497%, p< 0.001). In one experimental series, 72% of all patients exceeded mean + 2 SD of normal controls, when the stimulation index was referred to the effect of bTSH (NTG: 77%, Rec. G.: 88%, Tox. G.: 53%, Ca. thyroid: 75%). With a different method of calculation — stimulation index referred to the basal value — the number of patients above mean + 2 SD of normal controls decreased to 30% (NTG: 33%, Rec. G.: 12,5%, Tox. G.: 33%, Ca. thyroid: 25%). Statistical analysis, however, of results of different patient groups compared to the normal control group failed to show any significance.

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Abbreviations

AC-activity:

activity of the adenylate-cyclase

bTSH:

bovine thyroidea stimulating hormone

Ca.:

thyroid, Carcinoma of thyroid

FRTL-5 cells:

Fischer’s rat thyroid cell line 5

GD:

Graves’ disease

3H-TdR:

3H-Thymidine

IBMX:

3-isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine

MAB:

microsomal antibody

NTG:

non-toxic goitre

PBS:

phosphate buffered saline

Rec. goiter:

recurrent goiter

SD:

standard deviation

SI:

stimulation index

TAB:

thyroglobulin antibody

TBII:

TSH-binding inhibiting immunoglobulin

TGI:

thyroid growth stimulating immunoglobulin

Tox. goiter:

toxic goiter

TSI:

thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Cell and Immunobiological Laboratory, Medical University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, D - 2400, Lübeck, FRG

    M. D. Oethinger,  B. E. Wenzel & P. C. Scriba

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  1. M. D. Oethinger
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  2. B. E. Wenzel
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  3. P. C. Scriba
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Oethinger, M.D., Wenzel, B.E. & Scriba, P.C. Thyroid growth stimulating activity in highly purified IgG-fractions of patients with nonimmune thyroid diseases. J Endocrinol Invest 12, 631–642 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350024

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