Abstract
The aim of this study was to quantify thyrotropin (TSH) binding to individual cells from autonomously functioning thyroid gland tissue (AFTT) in comparison with the corresponding non-autonomous cells. Cryostatic tissue sections from ten thyroid glands with autonomously functioning adenomas were incubated in 125|-labeled TSH. TSH-binding density (TBD) was visualized by means of autoradiography and quantified by means of reflection photometry. Eight out of ten specimens showed a significant (p < 0.001), up to tenfold increase in TBD of AFTT cells. All ten specimens had a significantly increased number of TSH molecules bound per thyrocyte in comparison both with the corresponding non-autonomous cells and also with tissues from non-functioning thyroid neoplasms (n = 6). The increased TBD of AFTT persisted after transplantation onto nude mice. The paranodular tissue from thyroid glands with scintigraphically compensated adenomas showed in four out of six cases an increased TBD when compared with normal thyroid tissue. It can be concluded that AFTT possesses distinct cytoplasm membrane characteristics as evinced by TSH binding analysis. Increased TSH binding should be considered as a possible cause of metabolic hyperactivity of AFTT cells. The concomitant existence of functional autonomy in the paranodular tissue might lead to a false supposition of a compensated autonomous adenoma as revealed by scintigraphical evidence.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Kermode J.C., Edmonds C.J., Morgans M.E. Receptors for thyroid-stimulating hormone in normal and pathological human thyroid tissues. J. Endocrinol. 102: 369, 1984.
Müller-Gärtner H.W., Schneider C., Bay V., Tadt A., Rehpenning W., de Heer K., Jessel M. Increased thyrotropin binding in hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules. Horm. Metab. Res. 19: 382, 1987.
Thomas C.G., Combest W., McQuade R., Jordan H., Reddick R., Nayfeh S.N. Biological characteristics of adenomatous noduies, adenomas, and hyperfunctioning nodules as defined by adenylate cyclase activity and TSH receptors. World J. Surg. 8: 445, 1984.
Davenport S., Müller-Gärtner H.-W., Nakajima Y., Howells R., Furmaniak J., Rees Smith B. The structure of TSH receptors and microsomal antigen in different human thyroid tissue specimens. 6th Joint Meeting of British Endocrine Societies, Bristol, 1987 (abstract).
Goretzki P.E., Becker R., Malzer U., Wahl R.A., Branscheid D., Röher H.D. Adenylate cyclase activities and histomorphometric findings in “cold” and “hot” thyroid nodules. 29th Annual Meeting of the Acta Endocrinologica Congress, Göttingen, p. 70, 1985 (abstract).
Farah C.S., Romaldini J.H., Camargo R.S., Dall’Antonia R.P., Werner R.S. Cyclic AMP (cAMP), triiodothyronine (T3), and thyroxine (T4) released from thyroid toxic nodules in response to TSH in vitro. In: Medeiros-Neto G., Gaitan E. (Eds.), Frontiers in thyroidology. Plenum Medical Book Company, New York-London, 1987, vol.2, p. 963.
Müller H.-W., Schröder S., Wasmus G., Schroiff R., Schmiegelow P., Rees Smith B. Autoradiographical portrayal of TSH receptors in human thyroid gland tissues. Horm. Metab. Res. 17: 619, 1985.
Horst W., Rösier H., Schneider C., Labhart A. 306 cases of toxic adenoma: clinical aspects, findings in radioiodine diagnostics, radiochromatography and histology; results of 131 I and surgical treatment. J. Nucl. Med. 8: 515, 1967.
Peter H.J., Gerber H., Studer H., Smeds S. Pathogenesis of heterogeneity in human multinodular goiter — A study on growth and function of thyroid tissue transplanted onto nude mice. J. Clin. Invest. 76: 1992, 1985.
Schmiegelow P., Lindner J., Puschmann M. Autoradiographische Quantifizierung dosisabhàngiger 35 S-Cystin-bzw. 35 S-Methionin-Applikationen und des Einflusses unmarkierter Thioaminsäuren auf den 3 H-Thymidin-Markierungsindex der Keimzellen von Nägeln und Haaren im Tierexperiment. Akt. Dermatol. 9: 62, 1983.
Dörmer P., Brinkmann W., Stieber A., Stich W. Automatische Silberkornzählung in der Einzelzell-Autoradiographie — Eine neue photometrische Methode für die quantitative Autoradiographie. Klin. Wochenschr. 9: 477, 1966.
Rees Smith B., Hall R. Measurement of thyrotropin receptor antibodies. In: Langone J.J., van Vunakis H. (Eds.), Methods in enzymology, Vol. 74, Immunochemical techniques, part C. Academic Press, New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, San Francisco, 1981, p. 405.
Bradford M. A rapid and sensitive method for the quantification of microgram quantities of protein utilizing the principle of protein-dye binding. Anal. Biochem. 72: 248, 1976.
Scatchard G. The attraction of proteins for small molecules and ions. Ann. NY. Acad. Sci. 51: 660, 1949.
Marquardt D.W. An algorithm for least squares estimation on nonlinear parameters. SIAM J. 11: 431, 1963.
Bard Y. Nonlinear parameter estimation. Academic Press, London, 1974.
Hays W.L. Statistics, ed. 3. Holt & Co., London, New York, Sidney, Toronto, 1969.
Takahashi H., Jiang N.S., Gorman C.A., Lee C.Y. Thyrotropin receptors in normal and pathological human thyroid tissues. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 47: 870, 1978.
Abe Y., Ichikawa Y., Muraki T., Ito K., Homma M. Thyrotropin (TSH) receptor and adenylate cyclase activity in human thyroid tumors: absence of high affinity receptor and loss of TSH responsiveness in undifferentiated thyroid carcinoma. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 52: 23, 1981.
Carayon P., Guibout M., Lissitzky S. Thyrotropin receptor-adenylate cyclase system in plasma membranes from normal and diseased human thyroid glands. J. Endocrinol. Invest. 1: 321, 1978.
Carayon P., Thomas-Morvan C., Castanas E., Tubiana M. Human thyroid cancer: membrane thyrotropin binding and adenylate cyclase activity. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 51: 915, 1980.
Clark C.H., Gerend P.L., Cote T.C., Nissenson R.A. Thyrotropin binding and adenylate cyclase stimulation in thyroid neoplasms. Surgery 90: 252, 1981.
Müller-Gärtner H.W., Schröder S., Merx A. TSH-receptor binding capacity and distribution pattern for thyrotropin in thyroid diseases, Acta Endocrinol. (Kbh.) (Suppl. 274) 111: 83, 1986.
Wiener J.D. Is partial thyroidectomy definitive treatment for Plummers disease (autonomous goiter)? Clin. Nucl. Med. 8: 78, 1983.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Müller-Gärtner, H.W., Jessel, M., Schneider, C. et al. Autoradiographical evidence for increased thyrotropin binding to autonomously functioning thyroid gland tissue. J Endocrinol Invest 11, 183–191 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350132
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350132