Graves' IgG stimulation of continuously cultured rat thyroid cells: a sensitive and potentially useful clinical assay.

A continuously cultured line of normal rat thyroid (FRTL) cells can be stimulated by immunoglobulin preparations from patients with Graves' disease as measured by increases in intracellular cAMP levels. Responsiveness is concentration-dependent but is delayed in time relative to thyrotropin. Additionally, the cells respond to Graves' immunoglobulins which have no long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS) activity and are negative when adenylate cyclase stimulation in human thyroid membrane preparations is assayed. No correlation exists between the stimulation activity and the ability of a Graves' immunoglobulin preparation to inhibit thyrotropin binding; cells are responsive even in the presence of such inhibitor activity.