Characterization of high titer antithyroglobulin antibodies.

Few autoantibodies directed against thyroglobulin (TgAbs) have been fully characterized in man. The present study was designed to characterize TgAbs from patients with unusually high titers (greater than 1:5(12] using tanned red cell hemagglutination technique (TRC). IgG was isolated from the sera of subjects with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (n = 4), subacute thyroiditis (n = 1) and Graves' disease (n = 1) using DEAE-Sephacel chromatography. Isolated TgAbs were substituted as first antibody in a double antibody thyroglobulin (Tg) RIA and the Ka's were determined by Scatchard analysis. Molecular ratios of antibody to antigen, TgAb: Tg, were calculated from quantitative precipitin curves. The clonality of each antibody was determined using agarose isoelectric focusing and 131I labeled Tg as an autoradiographic probe. All six TgAbs were polyclonal. The Ka's were on the order of 10(9)-10(10). In two sera TgAb:Tg ratios of 20:1 and 8:1 were obtained. These results are significant when compared to previously characterized Tg autoantibodies which have been of low titer, low Ka (10(5], and have been directed towards a restricted portion of the Tg molecule (TgAb: Tg ratios of 2:1 to 6:1). In view of their high affinity constants and recognition of a less restricted portion of the Tg molecule, some of the TgAb's with unusually high titers behave more like Tg heteroantibodies than autoantibodies.