Showing papers by "Massimo Tonacchera published in 1989"

TSH-Blocking Antibodies and Congenital Hypothyroidism

Abstract: A role of maternal thyroid antibodies in the prediction and/or the development of congenital hypothyroidism was suggested by previous reportst1–4. Maternal autoantibodies able to inhibit the TSH-dependent adenylate cyclasel.2 or cell growth3 have been described in several newborns with congenital hypothyroidism (CH). Moreover it has been suggested that the presence of immunoglobulin G (1gG) able to increase ‘ISH-stimulated iodine (I) uptake in rat thyroid cells could predict the occurrence of congenital hypothyroidism4. To investigate the diagnostic and pathogenetic relevance of humoral autoimmunity in CH, thyroid antibodies were studied in sera of 60 consecutive newborns recalled for examination during our screening program and in sera from the 27 mothers whose children were affected by CH. Additional sera derived from selected cases of hypothyroid newborns born to mothers with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis were also studied.