Detection of antibodies to anterior pituitary cell surface membrane with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus and adrenocorticotropic hormone deficiency.

Autoantibodies for anterior pituitary cell surface membrane (PitCSA) were assayed by immunofluorescence method using GH3 cells (rat GH and prolactin secreting cell) and AtT-20 cells (mouse adrenocorticotropic hormone secreting cell) as antigens. Out of 18 insulin dependent diabetic patients who were positive for antibodies to islet cell surface membrane (ICSA), 3 cases (16.7%) were positive for antibodies to GH3 cells and 12 cases (66.7%) were positive for antibodies to AtT-20 cells. Moreover, out of 18 insulin dependent diabetic patients who were negative for ICSA, 2 (11.1%) and 6 cases (33.3%) were positive for antibodies to GH3 cells and AtT-20 cells, respectively. Among 5 adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) deficient patients, all of the sera were positive for antibodies to AtT-20 cells. These results suggested that PitCSA and ICSA have independent features, though both are closely related, and that PitCSA was one of the significant immunological markers often observed in the sera of the patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and ACTH deficiency.