Changes in serum thyroid hormone autoantibody concentrations during pregnancy: a case report.
A 29-year-old female patient with Graves' disease who developed thyroid hormone autoantibodies (THAA) under treatment with methimazole is presented. THAA were identified as IgG-kappa. During a first pregnancy that ended by miscarriage in the 3rd month, the titer of anti-thyroxine autoantibodies decreased by about 30%. Relapse of Graves' disease occurred 2 months later and an increase in serum THAA concentration to the initial titer was observed. THAA titer remained unchanged during treatment with methimazole and afterwards during thyroxine supplementation for radioiodine-induced hypothyroidism. During a second pregnancy, a decrease in anti-thyroxine autoantibody titer reached 45% at the time of delivery and an increase by 20% was noted 5 months later. A similar decline in THAA concentration was shown during a third pregnancy. The changes in THAA concentrations observed during pregnancy suggest an immunological influence of pregnancy on the THAA production, as previously demonstrated in other autoimmune diseases, like Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
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Department of Endocrinology, University Hospital of Antwerp, Belgium.
Martin
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D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains / Q000097:blood; D008713:Methimazole / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000276:immunology*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000276:immunology*; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007145:Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D008713:Methimazole; D013974:Thyroxine