Assay for thyroid growth stimulating immunoglobulins: stimulation of [3H]thymidine incorporation into isolated thyroid follicles by TSH, EGF, and immunoglobulins from goitrous patients in an iodine-deficient region.
Estimations were carried out of [3H]thymidine incorporation during culture of isolated porcine thyroid follicles in the presence of standard TSH or epidermal growth factor (EGF) both alone and together with anti-TSH or anti-EGF serum, and of immunoglobulins fractionated from the sera of patients from our endemic goitre area with iodine deficiency. A significant stimulation of thymidine incorporation was exerted by TSH when thyroglobulin was present in the culture medium, and also by EGF. TSH stimulation was abolished by anti-TSH serum, in contrast to the effect of EGF. Anti-EGF serum, on the other hand, blocked the effect of EGF, but not that of TSH. The sera of 20 out of 72 patients (27%) with euthyroid goitre (not operated on) and of ten out of 26 patients (38%) with recurrent euthyroid goitre contained immunoglobulins stimulating thyroid growth (TGI). There was no correlation of TGI with other thyroid antibodies. TGI have to be regarded as a pathogenetic factor of euthyroid goitre also in patients from an endemic region especially in recurrent cases.
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006043:Goiter, Endemic / Q000276:immunology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000378:metabolism*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018828:Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating; D007455:Iodine / Q000172:deficiency*; D013552:Swine; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000494:pharmacology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000494:pharmacology*
D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D018828:Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating; D004815:Epidermal Growth Factor; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007455:Iodine; D013936:Thymidine