Endocrine Action of Thyroglobulin Antibodies

THE ANTIGENIC properties of thyroglobulin have been studied at various times since its isolation from the thyroid by Hutchison in 1896 (1). The early attempts in this field dealt with the production of cytotoxic serum specific for the thyroid, using whole thyroid or a crude extract thereof as the antigen. Some of these experiments were successful (2–6); others were unsuccessful (7). Most of the investigators were able to demonstrate the presence of specific agglutinins and precipitins in the antisera, as well as cytolysins. Portis (4) and Beebe (6) used thyroglobulin, as well as whole thyroid, as the antigen. Rogers and Beebe (8) made the interesting observation that rabbits injected with antiserum tolerated thyroid protein administered parenterally better than uninjected animals, indicating that the antiserum possessed antihormonic properties. They went further and treated patients having exophthalmic goiter by means of antiserum to human thyroid.