SALIVARY EPIDERMAL GROWTH-FACTOR CONCENTRATION IN THYROTOXICOSIS

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was first isolated from the mouse submax illary gland, and later from human urine. The synthesis of mouse EGF i s stimulated by thyroid hormone and inhibited by antithyroid therapy E GF in turn stimulates the growth of thyroid cells. The objective of th e present study was to determine whether salivary EGF levels are affec ted by thyroid hormone level in man. Unstimulated saliva was obtained from 13 (1 male, 12 females) untreated thyrotoxic patients (age 19-64 yr) and from 21 (2 males, 19 females) healthy controls (age 19-68 yr). After centrifugation at 1000 x g, the supernatants were assayed for h uman (h) EGF in a homologous radioimmunoassay. The mean +/- SEM concen tration of hEGF was 0.42 +/- 0.05 mmol/L in controls compared with 0.7 1 +/- 0.25 nmol/L in thyrotoxic patients (p > 0.05). Thyrotoxic patien ts with goiter secreted significantly higher concentrations of hEGF (0 .92 +/- 0.24 nmol/L) in saliva than did euthyroid controls or nongoitr ous thyrotoxic patients (0.31 +/- 0.11 nmol/L, p < 0.01).