title: The relationship between thyrotropin receptor antibody levels and intrathyroid vascularity in patients with Graves' disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor antibodies (TSHRAbs) are specific autoantibodies of Graves' disease (GD). They activate adenylate cyclase, induce thyroid growth, and cause an increased rate of thyroid hormone production and secretion. TSHRAbs levels are decreased by treatment and may predict recurrence when they persist. Theoretically, TSHRAbs levels should be related to intrathyroid vascularity (ITV) due to the autoimmunity and inflammation. We aimed to analyze the relationship between TSHRAbs represented by thyrotropin-binding inhibitory immunoglobulin (TBII) levels and ITV measured by thyroid duplex sonography (TDS).
  
  
  METHODS
  56 GD patients were prospectively recruited.
  
  
  METHODS
  ITV, measured using TDS, was defined as follows: (average color-flow area in the right and left sides of the thyroid/total thyroid area in transverse view)×100.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average TBII level was 47.1% and average ITV was 27.24. ITV positively and significantly correlated with TBII (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TSHRAbs show significant correlation with ITV. This may help doctors to estimate thyroid autoimmune activity when they performing sonography at clinics.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: S-R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Shih
authors.forename: J-S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: L-C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Y-C
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: H-Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: C-Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: C-M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: T-C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Chang
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin