Acetylcholinesterase antibodies and thyroid autoimmunity.

It has been suggested that anti-thyroglobulin antibodies cross-react with acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and that this may explain the pathogenesis of Graves' ophthalmopathy. We have tested this hypothesis using an ELISA. Antibodies to human red blood cell AChE were found in 21% of 47 patients with thyroid autoimmunity. However antibodies to AChE were also detected in one of 25 normal subjects and two of 16 patients with non-organ specific autoimmunity. The anti-AChE antibodies showed no correlation with anti-thyroglobulin antibody levels and they were not associated with the presence of severe ophthalmopathy. Inhibition studies suggested only limited cross reactivity, if any, between anti-Tg and anti-AChE antibodies. Immunoblotting demonstrated antibody binding to at least four human AChE determinants at 130, 55, 32 and 22 kD. Our results demonstrate quite frequent anti-AChE reactivity in sera but no relationship with the development of orbital pathology.