Long-term pathologic changes of alpha1-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) glycoforms in autoimmune thyroid disease.
OBJECTIVE
We measured alpha1-acid-glycoprotein (AGP) in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease to study a possible relationship between microheterogeneity of the naturally occurring glycoforms of AGP and autoimmune thyroid disease.


METHODS
In a group of 12 fasting thyrotoxic patients (11 females, mean age: 43 years) with newly diagnosed Graves' disease (subgroup 1), we measured serum concentrations of total AGP and its 3 glycoforms (micromol/l, crossed affinity immunoelectrophoresis with con A in the first dimension gel) as well as total thyroxine, total triiodothyronine, thyrotropine, thyroid peroxidase antibodies (anti-TPO), antibodies against the TSH receptor (TRAb, TRAK), at baseline and after 12 months of antithyroid drug therapy (ATD). For comparison, 4 subgroups of thyroid patients (patients with Graves' disease and thyroid associated ophthalmopathy (TAO) (subgroup 2, n = 10), radioiodine treated Graves' patients (subgroup 3, n = 7), Graves' patients without TAO (subgroup 4, n = 13), patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (subgroup 5, n = 8)) and 25 normal controls (17 females, mean age: 38 years) were studied.


RESULTS
In subgroups of TRAb positive Graves patients' serum levels of glycoform 1, 2 or 3 increased significantly (p < 0.005) after 12 months of ATD as compared to both baseline of that person or normal controls. No significant changes were found in the TRAb negative Hashimoto subgroup.


CONCLUSIONS
Patients with autoimmune Graves' disease changed their relationship to AGP, and thus a role of AGP and its 3 glycoforms is suggested in the pathogenesis of Graves' disease.
Zimmermann-Belsing
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Department of Endocrinology, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. tzb@dadlnet.dk
Feldt-Rasmussen
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From
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Perrild
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Bøg-Hansen
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D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000378:metabolism*; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D009961:Orosomucoid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000378:metabolism*
D001798:Blood Proteins; D006242:Haptoglobins; D009961:Orosomucoid; D013963:Thyroid Hormones