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Cytotoxic Antibodies in Congenital Hypothyroidism^*

Endocrine Departments of Internal and Pediatric Medicine (A.G., H.H.), Free University Berlin Berlin, West Germany

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Ulrich Bogner, Klinikum Steglitz, Endokrinologische Abteilung, Hindenburgdamm 30,1000 Berlin 45, West Germany.

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity was determined in serum samples from 61 patients with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) and 46 of their mothers, using a Slchromium release assay with human thyroid cells. Such cyto-toxic antibodies were found in 31% of the children and 24% of their mothers. In the 12 (of 37) newborn infants with hypothyroidism (group 1) who had positive tests, the median cell lysis was 20.1% compared to 4% in healthy newborns. In the 7 (of 29) mothers who had positive tests, the median lysis was 21.3%. In 24 older children with CH (group 2), cytotoxic activity was found in 6, and in them the median lysis was 19.7%; 4 of their mothers had increased lytic activity (median, 20.6%). In 96% of the mother-infant pairs concordance existed between the cyto-toxic activity in mothers and their children. Increased thyroid cell lysis was found in 6 of 20 children with athyrosis (30%) and in 6 of 23 children with an ectopic gland (50%), but in only 1 of 14 children with a normal gland. Thyroglobulin antibodies were detected in 2 and antithyroid microsomal antibodies in 3 children-mother pairs. TSH receptor antibodies were present in 5 children and 3 of their mothers. The results indicate that intrauterine autoimmune thyroiditis could be involved in the patho-genesis of CH in some patients

^* This work was supported by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Received June 1, 1988.

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