title: Anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies determined by second-generation assay.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of our study was to determine the frequency of anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor antibodies (TRAb) in Tunisian patients with Graves' disease (GD) and to compare the validity of TRAb to that of thyroperoxidase (TPO-Ab) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TG-Ab).
  
  
  METHODS
  ELISA was used to determine the frequency of TRAb, TPO-Ab and TG-Ab in sera of 190 patients with GD. Patients were divided into four groups: those with untreated active GD (group A, n=71), those receiving treatment with anti-thyroid drugs (group B, n=85), those in relapse (group C, n=15) and those in remission (group D, n=19). Sera of 100 healthy blood donors served as controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The sensitivity of TRAb for the diagnosis of GD (95.8%) was significantly higher than that of TPO-Ab (73.2%) and TG-Ab (42.2%) (p=0.0005 and p<10(-7), respectively). The positive rate for TRAb was lower in group B than in group A (70.6% and 95.8%, respectively; p=0.0001). The levels of TRAb were significantly higher in group A than in group B (mean 30.1 and 14.2 IU/L, respectively; p=0.006).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TRAb, but neither TPO-Ab nor TG-Ab, is valuable in the diagnosis and management of patients with GD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Monastir, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Amani
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mankaï
authors.forename: Dorsaf
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Toumi
authors.forename: Molka
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chadli-Chaieb
authors.forename: Leila
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ghedira-Besbes
authors.forename: Fathia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Saad
authors.forename: Mohamed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ouertani
authors.forename: Habib
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sfar
authors.forename: Moncef
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jeddi
authors.forename: Larbi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chaieb
authors.forename: Ibtissem
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ghedira
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006042:Goiter / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012372:ROC Curve; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood; D014416:Tunisia
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase