CLINICAL EVALUATION OF THE THYROID STIMULATING HORMONE ACTIVITY IN EXOPHTHALMOS

Abstract

ABSTRACT A method for demonstrating the presence of a thyroid stimulating factor in the blood of patients with progressive exophthalmos after thyroidectomy or after treatment with radioiodine is described. The method consists of transfusing freshly drawn blood from the patients to euthyroid recipients and subsequently following the PBI level of the recipients at regular intervals. Six exophthalmic patients tested in this manner were found to have such a factor in their circulating blood. After transfusion of their blood a significant rise in the PBI level of the recipients could be demonstrated. Two other patients, one with exophthalmos of long duration did not show this response nor did it occur after transfusion of blood from two control subjects. In one case the action of this factor was compared with that of animal thyrotrophin and found to be of the same magnitude.