Anti-thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibodies determined by second-generation assay.
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.
Mankaï
Amani
A
Department of Immunology, Research Unit, Faculty of Pharmacy, Monastir, Tunisia.
Toumi
Dorsaf
D
Chadli-Chaieb
Molka
M
Ghedira-Besbes
Leila
L
Saad
Fathia
F
Ouertani
Mohamed
M
Sfar
Habib
H
Jeddi
Moncef
M
Chaieb
Larbi
L
Ghedira
Ibtissem
I
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
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase