Evidence that TSH Receptor A-Subunit Multimers, Not Monomers, Drive Antibody Affinity Maturation in Graves' Disease.

ABSTRACT:

Context

The TSH receptor (TSHR) A-subunit shed from the cell surface contributes to the induction and/or affinity maturation of pathogenic TSHR autoantibodies in Graves' disease.

Objective

This study aimed to determine whether the quaternary structure (multimerization) of shed A-subunits influences pathogenic TSHR autoantibody generation.

Design

The isolated TSHR A-subunit generated by transfected mammalian cells exists in two forms; one (active) is recognized only by Graves' TSHR autoantibodies, the second (inactive) is recognized only by mouse monoclonal antibody (mAb) 3BD10. Recent evidence suggests that both Graves' TSHR autoantibodies and mAb 3BD10 recognize the A-subunit monomer. Therefore, if the A-subunit monomer is an immunogen, Graves' sera should have antib

SUBMITTER: Rapoport B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4454809 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature