Sera but not immunoglobulins of ophthalmic Graves' patients stimulate human embryonal fibroblasts' biosynthetic activity in culture.
The retroocular connective tissue changes in the ophthalmopathy of Graves' disease are known, however, the mechanism which leads to the increase in fibroblast number and activity is poorly understood. Using human embryonal fibroblast monolayers, fibroblast biosynthetic activity in the presence of sera, immunoglobulin deprived sera or immunoglobulins of Graves' patients with and without ophthalmopathy has been measured. Both sera and immunoglobulin deprived sera of the ophthalmic Graves' patients caused a marked increase of protein synthesis and a moderate increase of the sulphated glycosaminoglycan synthesis of fibroblasts. The same stimulatory effect was not found when immunoglobulin in fetal calf serum was used instead of sera, though anti-fibroblast IgG-s were present both in the sera and separated immunoglobulin fractions, as it has been demonstrated in an ELISA system. We conclude that the sera of ophthalmic Graves' patients contains a factor which stimulates human embryonal fibroblasts' biosynthetic activity in culture; this factor is not an immunoglobulin. The system described here seems to be suitable for studying the accompanying connective tissue changes in Graves' disease.
1st Department of Medicine, University Medical School, Debrecen, Hungary.
E V
EV
Nagy
K
K
Kalman
J
J
Szabo
G
G
Bako
L
L
Gergely
A
A
Leövey
D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D006025:Glycosaminoglycans / Q000378:metabolism; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000502:physiology; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D006025:Glycosaminoglycans; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; C013786:A73025; D013974:Thyroxine