Heterogeneity of anterior pituitary cell antibodies detected in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency.

A sensitive assay method for pituitary cell antibodies (PitCA) was established by a biotin/avidin system using rat pituitary. Results in 24 cases out of 81 insulin-dependent diabetic patients and 10 cases of 21 adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficient patients were positive for autoantibodies to anterior pituitary cell cytoplasm. PitCA observed in the sera of insulin-dependent diabetic patients were suspected of being pituitary specific and independent with islet cell antibodies (ICA) and islet cell surface antibodies (ICSA). In the sera of ACTH deficient patients, PitCA were frequently absorbed with liver acetone powder. Populations of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) are almost equal in males and females. A total of 16 cases out of 21 ACTH deficient patients were female. These results suggest that heterogenous PitCA are involved in the sera of those patients with IDDM and ACTH deficiency.