Pathophysiologic effects of stable iodine used as a thyroidal blocking agent to reduce thyroid radiation exposure. Progress report, November 1, 1975--October 31, 1976. [/sup 125/I tracer technique]

In an effort to determine whether iodide administration in man can induce injury to thyroid follicular cells similar to that demonstrated in lower animals, this study measures thyroglobulin, thyroxine and triiodothyronine and thyroid autoantibodies in the serum before and after administration of iodine in a variety of patients. In the last eight months primary efforts have been devoted to the development of a high specificity and sensitivity radioimmunoassay of thyroglobulin and its preliminary clinical application. Human thyroglobulin obtained from operative specimens was purified and its identity and purity established. Rabbits were injected with thyroglobulin for 30 weeks with the appearance of significant titres of antibodies within 6 weeks. The antibody developed was examined for immunological purity and used in a radioimmunoassay system with thyroglobulin labeled in this Laboratory with /sup 125/I.