Endocrine Abstracts

Advances in understanding the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases is leading to development of new targeted therapies, with the resultant improvements in the management of the patients. Autoimmunity to the TSH receptor is the main cause of Graves’ disease and components of this disorder are the extrathyroidal complications which include Graves’ ophthalmopathy and pretibial dermopathy. Recent studies in Graves’ ophthalmopathy implicate an additional target antige...

There is a paucity of information regarding the genetic and somatic mutation events that lead to the production of pathogenic thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSAbs) in Graves’ disease. We have previously isolated two murine monoclonal antibodies (KSAb1 and KSAb2) with potent TSAb activity that demonstrate subtle differences in their interaction with the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR). Analyses of the variable region genes of the heavy and light chains of these TSAbs were per...