Presence of antideoxyribonucleic acid antibody in patients with hyperthyroidism of Graves' disease

In 16 untreated patients with hyperthyroidism due to Graves' disease, serum antidouble stranded DNA antibody, measured by RIA, was positive (greater than 20 U/ml) in 14. In methimazole-treated patients with T3-suppressible thyroid uptake, anti-DNA antibody was found in 9% (3 of 35). The frequency of positive tests in methimazole-treated patients with T3-nonsuppressible thyroid uptake and in surgically treated patients was 24% (5 of 21) and 57% (4 of 7), respectively. Among anti-DNA antibody-negative (less than 9 U/ml) and weakly positive (10-19 U/ml) patients, those with T3-suppressible thyroid uptake had lower anti-DNA antibody titers than those with T3-nonsuppressible thyroid uptake. Among 32 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, anti-DNA antibody was positive in 7. None of the patients with simple goiter had positive or weakly positive anti-DNA antibody results. Although the quantity of antibodies did not correlate well in individual patients, the rates of positive TSH binding-inhibiting immunoglobulin and anti-DNA antibody tests were roughly comparable in these patient groups. None of these patients with thyroid disease associated with anti-DNA antibody had clinical or other serological evidence suggestive of systemic lupus erythematosus or related collagen vascular disorders. The finding of anti-DNA antibody provides a new aspect of immunological abnormality associated with hyperthyroidism of Graves' disease.