Immunological and Molecular Characteristics of the Thyroid Peroxidase Autoantigen
Abstract
Auroimmunify, 1991, Vol. 8 , pp. 335-343 Reprints available directly from the publisher Photocopying permitted by license only 1991 Harwood Academic Publishers GmbH Printed in the United Kingdom Review IMMUNOLOGICAL AND MOLECULAR CHARACTERISTICS OF THE THYROID PEROXIDASE AUTOANTIGEN J P BANGA, P S. BARNETT and A.M McGREGOR Depurrmeni o f Medic me KrngâF College School of Medicine Denmark HrII, London SES 8RX (Rereived 9 May 1990 in final form I I Octoher 1990) 1. INTRODUCTION Since the first description of a thyroid microsomal antigen by immunofluorescent studies using sera from patients with autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) in 1957â,the precise nature of this autoantigen remained unknown for over twenty five years. It has now been shown to be identical to thyroid peroxidase (TPO)233, an enzyme essential in the generation of thyroid hormones from thyroglobulin. Autoimmune thyroid disease affects approximately 5% of the population4. Patients present with a spectrum of clinical disease, at one end of which is immune destruction of the thyroid gland by lymphocytic thyroiditis as in goitrous (Hashimotoâs thyroiditis) or atrophic thyroiditis (primary myxoedema), both of which lead to hypothyroidism. At the other end, excessive stimulation of the gland by autoantibodies that mimic the hormone thyrotrophin (TSH)