THYROID-HORMONE AUTOANTIBODIES IN PATIENTS WITH GRAVES-DISEASE - EFFECT OF ANTITHYROID DRUG-TREATMENT

We examined the effects of anti-thyroid drug treatment on serum autoan tibodies against thyroid hormones (thyroid hormone autoantibodies, THA A), thyroglobulin (Tg) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) in patients with G raves' disease by measuring each autoantibody level before and after t reatment. Six patients among 40 untreated patients with Graves' diseas e had anti-thyroxine (T-4) antibodies. One patient had both anti-T-4 a nd anti-triiodothyronine (T-3) antibodies. Thus the prevalence of THAA in untreated Graves' disease was 7 out of 40 (17.5%). Changes in T-4- Ab levels after treatment varied. In five cases (cases 3-7) levels dec reased 4-7 months after treatment. However, in the other two cases lev els fluctuated 1, 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment. None of the prev iously THAA-negative patients became positive after treatment. Anti-Tg antibody (Tg-Ab) was positive in 34 out of 40 (85%) untreated cases a nd its level decreased in both THAA positive and negative patients aft er treatment. Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) was positive i n 32 of the 40 (80%) untreated Graves' patients and its level signific antly decreased after treatment. Our findings suggest that treatment w ith anti-thyroid drugs does not produce THAA in Graves' disease.