Putative protective role of autoantibodies against the insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor in Graves' Disease: results of a pilot study.

Background: The insulin-like growth factor-1 receptor (IGF-1R) is a key element in the pathogenesis of Graves' Orbitopathy (GO), but the role of IGF-1R autoantibodies (IGF-1RAbs) has not been established.

Methods: We designed a cross-sectional investigation to measure IGF-1RAbs in patients with Graves' disease (GD), with or without GO, who underwent radioiodine therapy followed by glucocorticoids (GC). Twenty-nine patients were included, 15 of which with GO.

Mechanistic Pathways of Selenium in the Treatment of Graves' Disease and Graves' Orbitopathy.

Based on the role of oxidative stress in the pathogenesis of Graves' hyperthyroidism and Graves' orbitopathy, the use of the antioxidant agent selenium has been proposed and several studies on the subject have been conducted, both in vitro and in vivo. Whereas a true benefit related to the use of selenium in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism has been questioned, its use in patients with mild Graves' orbitopathy is generally believed to be beneficial because of which selenium has entered in the clinical practice for this eye condition.

Graves' orbitopathy, idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor and Epstein-Barr virus infection: a serological and molecular study.

Objective: One of the hypotheses on the pathogenesis of autoimmune diseases, including Graves' disease (GD) and Graves' orbitopathy (GO), involves bacterial or viral infections. Recently, Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) has been proposed to play a role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic orbital inflammatory pseudotumor (IOIP) in Asians. The aim of the present study was to investigate the possible association of GO with EBV infection/exposure, as compared with IOIP, using serum and tissue samples, as well as primary cultures of orbital fibroblasts.