[Thyroid-stimulating autoantibodies in the blood of patients with diffuse toxic goiter]

The level of thyrostimulating autoantibodies (TSA) in IgG fraction isolated from the blood serum by precipitation of (NH4)2SO4 was determined in 36 patients with diffuse toxic goiter (DTG) and in 8 healthy donors. TCA which were assessed by a rise of the level of cAMP in human thyroid sections (obtained at operation from extranodal tissue of patients with nodal euthyroid goiter) after 2 h-incubation at 37 degrees C with IgG, were determined in 32 DTG patients (89%). The patients were divided into 2 groups with respect to their clinical and thyroid status: with a high and normal or subnormal content of the blood thyroid hormones. In the 1st group the frequency of detection (96%) and the level of TSA (570.64 +/- 109.63%) were much higher than in the 2nd group of patients (70 and 186.29 +/- 23.06%, respectively). The highest levels of TSA (1085.25 +/- 551.27%) were found in 4 of 26 patients (the 1st group) who had not received specific therapy.