Abstract

BACKGROUND: Recently a new very sensitive and specific commercial method for detection of TSHR-Ab has become available: TBII assay using human recombinant TSHR. The aim of this study was to assess the potential of this novel TBII assay as a guideline for immunosuppressive therapy in patients with Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). MATERIAL/METHODS: We detected serum TBII level in three groups of subjects: 17 patients with clinical symptoms of GO, 14 patients with Graves' disease without ophthalmopathy (Gd), and 13 healthy volunteers. Corticosteroid therapy consisted of intravenous infusions of methylprednisolone (MP) and subsequent treatment with oral prednisone (P). Serum samples were collected 24 hours before MP, 24 hours after MP, after 14 days of P treatment and after the end of corticosteroid therapy. RESULTS: The levels of TBII were significantly increased in both GO and Gd individuals as compared to the controls (p

Keywords: Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use, Autoantibodies - blood, Case-Control Studies, Graves Disease - blood, Graves Disease - immunology, Methylprednisolone - therapeutic use, Prednisone - therapeutic use, Receptors, Thyrotropin - blood, Receptors, Thyrotropin - immunology, Recombinant Proteins - metabolism