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Antipituitary antibody (APA) has been reported to be detected in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. Type 2 iodothyronine deiodinase (D2) is expressed in both pituitary gland and thyroid gland. We studied the association of APA and D2 peptide antibody in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. Rat pituitary gland homogenate and D2 peptide were used as antigens in the present study. APA and D2 peptide antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in sera obtained from 42 patients with Hashimoto's disease, 26 patients with Graves' disease and 70 healthy control subjects. Moreover, D2 activity precipitation assay was performed in some patients with Hashimoto's disease. APA and D2 peptide antibody were elevated in patients with Hashimoto's disease and patients with Graves' disease, compared with control subjects. APA was positive in 32.4% (22/68), D2 peptide antibody was positive in 26.5% (18/68) of patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. APA was positive in 31.0% (13/42) of patients with Hashimoto's disease and 34.6% (9/26) of patients with Graves' disease. D2 peptide antibody was positive in 26.2% (11/42) of patients with Hashimoto's disease and 26.9% (7/26) of patients with Graves' disease. D2 peptide antibody was correlated with APA in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease. Moreover, precipitation of D2 activity was increased in some patients with Hashimoto's disease including a patient who also had idiopathic diabetes insipidus, and was correlated with D2 peptide antibody. These results suggest that D2 antibody may be associated with APA in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease.

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical significance of the presence of anti-pituitary antibodies (APAs) in patients with NIDDM or IDDM and to examine the relationship of APAs to GAD antibodies (GADAs). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Serum samples were obtained from patients with NIDDM and IDDM. APAs, determined by Western blot analysis, and GADAs, determined by radioimmunoassay, were detected in the patients' sera and control sera. Urinary levels of C-peptide (U-CPR) were measured. RESULTS The prevalence of APAs was significantly higher in patients with NIDDM (24.2%) or IDDM (56.8%) than in healthy control subjects (6%). In patients with NIDDM, the levels of U-CPR were significantly lower, and the prevalence of insulin deficiency was higher in APA+ patients than in APA− patients. CONCLUSIONS This is the first study to demonstrate that the prevalence of APAs is increased in patients with NIDDM and IDDM. The presence of APAs may be related to reduced secretion of insulin in NIDDM patients.

The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of antipituitary antibodies (APA) in patients with autoimmune thyroid disease as determined by Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results by Western blot analysis showed positivity for APA in serum of 22.4% of patients with Graves' disease (n=143, p

The clinical significance of anti-pituitary antibodies (APA) was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in individuals with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM). Serum samples were obtained from 150 NIDDM patients and 45 normal subjects. Urinary C-peptide (U- CPR) was also measured for the NIDDM patients. APA-positive serum was incubated with porcine pancreas, liver, kidney, or spleen powder and analyzed by immunoblot. The prevalence of APA was found to be significantly (P

The identification of pituitary antigens recognized by human antipituitary antibodies (APAs) is important in evaluating the pathophysiology of multiendocrine disorders linked to autoimmune factors. However, there is no convenient method for the quantitative analysis of circulating APAs. This study reports the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the detection of APAs. APAs were measured by ELISA and confirmed by Western blot analysis in sera from patients with endocrine disorders. APAs were detected frequently in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), or pituitary dwarfism. Circulating APAs were detected in 18% of patients with autoimmune thyroiditis. Confirmation by Western blot revealed positivity for APAs in the serum of 36% of patients with Hashimoto disease and in 29% of patients with Graves disease. Notably, 39% of patients with IDDM were also positive for APAs by ELISA. The identification of APAs by ELISA may be useful in evaluating autoimmune mechanisms involved in patients with multiendocrine disorders.

Antipituitary antibodies have been reported to exist in sera of patients with autoimmune endocrine disorders. In order to investigate the pituitary antigens recognized by antipituitary antibodies, we studied the autoantigens in rat pituitary membrane and cytosolic fractions recognized by human antipituitary antibodies and anti-human pituitary hormone antibodies. Sera from 6 patients which showed positive antipituitary antibodies by immunofluorescence methods were studied. Each serum identified some proteins with 14.5, 22, 47, 49, 65, 84 and 97.5 kDa. Anti-GH antibodies and anti-PRL antibodies identified a positive band with 22 kDa, suggesting that anti-GH and anti-PRL antibodies may be present in patients' sera. These results indicate that Western blot analysis of rat pituitary antigens recognized by human antipituitary antibodies is a useful method to elucidate the pathophysiology of autoimmune endocrine disorders.

The clinical figures and therapeutic treatment of a young male AIDS patient complicated with severe interstitial pneumonitis are described.The diagnosis was based on clinical symptoms and laboratory tests, including a lowered OKT4/T8 ratio (0.07) and the Western-Blot test. Antibodies to the virus reverse transcriptase (p61p24) had declined strongly, indicating the onset of AIDS. Necessary care taken for preventing the hospital employees from the transmission of the virus infections in the workplace are also described.A transmissible strain of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was isolated from the peripheral blood, and was identified by serological tests and electron microscopy.

The prevalence of persons antibody-positive for adult T cell leukemia virus-associated antigen (ATLA) or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) was determined in 1, 815 blood donors and 3, 511 patients (total 5, 326) between April 1986 to February 1988.Among 1, 815 blood donors (healthy persons), 5 (0.28%) were confirmed to be sero-positive for ATLA by indirect immunofluorescence and Western-blot tests. None were positive for HIV.Among 2, 848 serum specimens of patients analyzed in the immunological laboratory of Gunma University Hospital, 26 (0.91%) were antibody-positive for ATLA and 13 (0.46%) for HIV. Twelve of the 13 anti-HIV antibody-positive patients had hemophilia, the other positive patient was a young male AIDS patient (non-Japanese) who had severe interstitial pneumonia.Among 663 patients who visited a venereal disease clinic, 2 (0.30%) were found to be positive for ATLA, but none were positive for HIV.