Presence of both stimulating and blocking types of TSH-receptor antibodies in sera from three patients with primary hypothyroidism

Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 1990 Feb;32(2):253-60. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1990.tb00861.x.

Abstract

A case report of three patients with primary hypothyroidism who had potent TSH-binding inhibitor immunoglobulins (TBII) and both thyroid stimulating (TSAb) and thyroid stimulation-blocking antibodies (TSBAb) has been described. Two patients displayed symptoms and signs indistinguishable from those in primary myxoedema (cases 1 and 2), and another patient had a history of Graves' disease (case 3). TBII, TSAb and TSBAb activities were 90.0, 1084.2 and 94.5% in case 1, 91.5, 826.6 and 95.8% in case 2, 76.0, 230.0 and 95.0% in case 3, respectively (normal range, less than 11.0%, less than 145.0 and less than 22.0%, respectively. The results indicate that both stimulating and blocking types of TSH-receptor antibodies exist in these patients. The possible mechanism whereby hypothyroidism developed has been discussed.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Antibodies / immunology*
  • Autoantibodies / immunology*
  • Female
  • Graves Disease / immunology
  • Humans
  • Hypothyroidism / immunology*
  • Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Thyroid Gland / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies
  • Autoantibodies
  • Immunoglobulins, Thyroid-Stimulating