Thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin in hyperthyroidism

ABSTRACT

This study was carried out on 20 patients with hyperthyroidism. The diagnosis of hyperthyroidism was based on clinical, biochemical and isotopic studies. Sixteen patients were diagnosed as Gravs' disease and four patients as toxic nodular goiter [two had solitary hot nodule and two had multinodular goiter], Thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin estimation revealed normal levels in all patients with toxic nodular goiter; while-13-patients [81%] with Gravs' disease showed high level of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin. Six months after radioactive iodine therapy, all patients with previously high levels of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulin showed reduction in their serum levels to reach a normal value in 6 of them [46%] and levels above normal range in 7 [54%]. This finding suggests that radioactive iodine therapy may have an immunoregulatory effect in cases of Gravs' disease