Anti-perinuclear and rheumatoid factor in different forms of autoimmune thyroid disease

Anti-perinuclear factors (APF), IgM-, IgG- and IgA-rheumatoid factors have been detected in six, five, one and three out of 20 patients with primary myxoedema, respectively. We were unable to find APF in 22 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis nor in 20 patients with Graves' thyrotoxicosis. APF appears to be a marker for non-organ specific autoimmune diseases.