Similar serum IgM concentrations in Greek endemic goiter and control populations: failure to confirm previous...

Circulating immunoglobulin M (IgM) concentrations were determined in 47 nontoxic goiter patients from four Greek endemic goiter areas, and in 13 patients from Athens, a non-goitrous area; and compared with 38 control non-goitrous subjects from the same goiter regions, and 23 more controls from Athens. The values in both goitrous and non-goitrous groups were indistinguishable. Current techniques for single radial immunodiffusion were employed. The results are expressed in standardized international units/ml serum, instead of the formerly used mg/dl. The present findings are in disagreement with the earlier observation from this laboratory that 40 per cent of goitrous patients had elevated IgM values compared with 10 per cent of control subjects.