A 64 kDa membrane antigen is a recurrent epitope for natural autoantibodies in patients with Graves' thyroid and ophthalmic diseases*

Abstract

We conclude that IgG antibodies binding to a recurrent 64 kDa antigen are present in many normal human sera, with increased concentrations detectable in sera from Graves' ophthalmopathy patients. Such 'specificity-crossover' with similar molecular weight transmembrane antigens is likely to be caused by natural autoantibodies reacting with recurrent autoepitopes rather than a factor aetiological in the disease process.