Serum hyaluronan concentration determined by radiometric assay in patients with pretibial myxedema and Graves' ophthalmopathy.

The serum concentration of hyaluronan (HA) was measured by radiometric assay in patients with pretibial myxedema (PTM) and Graves' ophthalmopathy (GO). The mean HA concentration in the patients (n = 8) was 21.2 +/- 15.3 (mean +/- SD) microgram/l, while that of Graves' disease without skin or eye involvement (n = 7) was 23.5 +/- 11.0 (mean +/- SD) microgram/l and that of the control (n = 8) was 25.5 +/- 16.4 (mean +/- SD) microgram/l. We conclude that local accumulation of glycosaminoglycan in PTM or GO is not associated with an increase in the serum HA concentration.