A TSHR-LH/CGR Chimera that Measures Functional Thyroid-Stimulating Autoantibodies (TSAb) Can Predict Remission or Recurrence in Graves' Patients Undergoing Antithyroid Drug (ATD) Treatment

Context: A functional thyroid-stimulating autoantibodies (TSAb) assay using a thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor chimera (Mc4) appears to be clinically more useful than the commonly used assay, a binding assay that measures all the antibodies binding to the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor without functional discrimination, in diagnosing patient with Graves' disease (GD). Objective: The objective of the study was to investigate whether an Mc4 assay can predict relapse/remission of hyperthyroidism after antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment in patients with GD. Design: An Mc4 assay was used to prospectively track TSAb activity in GD patients treated with ATD over a 5-yr period. Setting and Patients: GD patients from the Chieti University participated in this study. Interventions: Interventions included the assessment of patients' sera using the Mc4 assay, the Mc4-derivative assay (Thyretain), and a human monoclonal thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor antibody, M22 assay. Main Outcome Measures: The Mc4 as...