Abstract
There is no general agreement about the optimal duration of antithyroid drug therapy in Graves’ disease. This study was undertaken to find out whether the determination of thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSI) facilitates the decision to continue or to discontinue antithyroid drug therapy. TSI activity was measured with a radioligand receptor assay using human thyroid membranes and highly purified 125I-TSH in 49 Graves’ disease patients before and throughout the course of antithyroid drug treatment,and after therapy was stopped. A total of 49 patients has been investigated in the follow-up study. Before treatment, 35 of them were TSI-positive and 14 of them TSI-negative. From the results of TSI determinations during the entire study, 3 groups of patients were established. Group 1: in 15 patients TSI were detectable throughout the course of the disease; shortly after therapy, 13 of them became hyperthyroid again and 2 of them remained in remission. Group 2: of 20 patients in whom TSI-activity disappeared during antithyroid drug treatment, 17 showed suppressible thyroid function up to eight months after the end of therapy, 3 became hyperthyroid again within 6 weeks after stopping treatment. Group 3: the 14 patients who were TSI-negative before treatment, remained so throughout the study; 7 of them relapsed and 7 regained suppressible thyroid function. The patients who were followed up were part of a study of 187 untreated patients: 106 of them (56.5%) were TSI-positive, 81 (43.5%) TSI-negative. The study provides evidence that TSI plays a major role in the full expression of hyperthyroidism in Graves’ disease but cannot prove the hypothesis that TSI molecules are solely responsible for the pathogenesis of this disease. The results indicate that the radioligand receptor assay for TSI might be helpful in recognizing remission of the disease during treatment.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
