Abstract
Immunoglobulin (IG) preparations may be contaminated with growth factors. Therefore, we investigated whether the growth promoting activity in IG preparations (thyroid growth stimulating immunoglobulins = TGI) from patients with sporadic goitre may be caused by contaminating EGF (epidermal growth factor). EGF in sera as well as in indifferently prepared IG of patients with recurrent goitre (n = 23), Graves' disease (n = 19) and normals (n = 17) was determined by EGF receptor assay. Comparatively, the ability for stimulating thyroid cell growth was determined in these IG preparations (2 mg/ml). EGF in ammoniumsulphate (AS) precipitates was about 2-fold higher than serum EGF. The growth promoting activity of indifferent IG preparations correlated with the EGF content. After additional purification on protein A-sepharose, neither EGF, nor a growth promoting activity was found in these IG preparations. We therefore conclude, that the growth promoting activity of crude IG preparations may be due to a contamination with EGF.
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