An investigation of pedigrees of 110 patients with Graves' disease and the clinical significance of determinations of antithyroid antibodies of their first-degree relatives.
Eight hundred and ten pedigree members of 110 patients with Graves' disease were studied. In 700 first-degree relatives, inquiry of medical history, physical examination (including eyes, thyroid, heart rate, etc), thyroid function tests (serum T3, T4 and TSH levels), determinations of thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) and thyroid microsomal antibodies (TmAb) were performed. For male (female) probands, the incidence of Graves' disease in male (female) first-degree relatives were investigated and their serum TgAb and TmAb were analysed. The incidence of these two kinds of autoantibodies in the male (female) first-degree relatives of familial and nonfamilial Graves' disease were analysed. Eighteen persons with positive TgAb and TmAb from 5 pedigrees had been followed up one year after initial determinations. Our results suggest that the positive rates of TgAb and TmAb in the first-degree relatives of Graves' disease were coincident with the incidence of Graves' disease, and the positive results of TgAb and TmAb in the first-degree relatives of Graves' disease may be an indicator of pre-Graves' disease or pre-autoimmune thyroid diseases.
Wang
D Q
DQ
Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital, Shandong Medical University, Jinan.
Wang
J Z
JZ
Ren
J M
JM
Zhou
X T
XT
Peng
W C
WC
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology; D010375:Pedigree; D012737:Sex Factors; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D013954:Thyroglobulin