Radioimmunologic determination of pituitary autoantibodies in patients with Addison's disease

• Published in: Endokrynologia polska Vol. 42; no. 4; p. 561
• Main Authors: Gryczyńska, M, Kosowicz, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Polish
• Published: Poland 1991
• Subjects: Addison Disease - etiology; Addison Disease - immunology; Adolescent; Adrenal Glands - immunology; Adult; Autoantibodies - analysis; Autoimmune Diseases - immunology; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Pituitary Gland - immunology; Radioimmunoassay; Tuberculosis - complications
• ISSN: 0423-104X

The occurrence of pituitary autoantibodies was investigated in 34 patients, 25 females and 9 males, with Addison's disease of autoimmune origin and in 10 patients with tuberculous etiology of the disease. In both groups adrenal autoantibodies were also determined. Autoantibodies were determined by radioimmunoassay using solid phase technique in tubes coated with proteins of human adrenal and pituitary microsomal fractions. Pituitary autoantibodies were detected in 28 of 34 patients (20 females and 8 males) with autoimmune Addison's disease but only in 3 patients (2 females and one male) with nonimmune etiology of the disease. Both antipituitary and antiadrenal antibodies remain present in the circulation for many years as they were detected in autoimmune Addison's disease even after 10 or more years after the onset of the disease. There was a close relationship between the occurrence of pituitary antibodies and adrenal autoantibodies: they both appeared in the same patients and high titres of pituitary autoantibodies were associated with high titres of adrenal autoantibodies. This suggests a close similarity or identity of pituitary and adrenal autoantigens.