[Pathogenesis of Basedow's disease].

Thyroid antibodies and thyroid-stimulating factors (LATS and LATS-Protector) have been controlled 53 patients with Graves' disease during antithyroid drug treatment. It has been demonstrated that dosage is higher and duration of treatment has been more protracted in antibody-positive thyrotoxicosis than in patients without these antibodies. Thyroid antibodis have been found only in patients with detectable thyroid-stimulating factors, which are identified as immunglobulins. These results indicate the importance of immunologic processes. Suppressibility of thyroid function proved 2 months after stopping medical treatment, was negative in 19 and positive in 17 patients. Thyroid-stimulating factors remained positive up to this time in 20 patients and disappeared in 18. In 8 patients the suppression-test was positive indicating a normal function of the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), but thyroid-stimulating factors still have been detected in these patients. These results are controversial to the autoimmune-concept of the pathogenesis of Graves' disease. As this concept cannot be refused, changes in the effectivity of LATS or LATS protector by crude serum factors or by changes of the receptor structures are discussed.