GLUCOCORTICOID-INDUCED DISAPPEARANCE OF LONG-ACTING THYROID STIMULATOR IN THE OPHTHALMOPATHY OF GRAVES' DISEASE.

Abstract

The effect of glucocorticoid therapy on serum long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) was studied in 3 subjects. In a patient with severe ophthalmopathy and pretibial myxedema, prednisone treatment induced a clinical remission and disappearance of an initially high LATS titer. Ten days after discontinuance of prednisone, LATS was again detectable and the ophthalmopathy worsened. Reinstitution of prednisone again resulted in clinical improvement and in disappearance of LATS during the fourth week of therapy. In a second patient with ophthalmopathy, a similar response of LATS to steroid therapy was observed, though only transient improvement in ophthalmopathy occurred. In a third patient with similarly high titers of LATS, steroid therapy was without effect on the serum LATS or exophthalmos. The observation of a fall in LATS in the first 2 patients suggests that the response of Graves' ophthalmopathy to glucocorticoid therapy is not limited to an anti-inflammatory effect. The circumstances in these patients a...