Reevaluation of the Prevalences of Serum Autoantibodies Reactive with "64-kd Eye Muscle Proteins" in Patients with Thyroid-Associated Ophthalmopathy

Serum autoantibodies reactive with eye muscle proteins of "64 kilodaltons (kd)" are frequently found in patients with Graves' hyperthyroidism and thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy (TAO). Earlier, we cloned a 64-kd protein that was identified as calsequestrin, a calcium-binding protein localized in the sarcoplasmic reticulum of striated muscle and extensively studied another cloned 64-kd protein, called 1D, which is expressed in thyroid and eye muscle, and some other tissues. Using a monoclonal antibody against calsequestrin, a polyclonal antibody against 1D and a TAO patient serum reactive with the "64-kd protein," as probes, we performed Western blots of porcine eye muscle membrane. We identified three different proteins in the 63 to 67 kd molecular weight range that were targeted by antibodies in sera from patients with TAO. It was not possible to differentiate antibodies reactive with calsequestrin and 1D because these two proteins have very similar molecular weights—63 to 64 kd—and band appearance in Western blotting. A 67-kd protein was most frequently recognized by TAO patients' sera. Serum antibodies reactive with the 67-kd protein were detected in 73% of patients with active TAO of 1 year duration or less, in 37% of patients with TAO of more than 3 years' duration, in 35% with Graves' hyperthyroidism without evident ophthalmopathy, in 30% of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and in 16% of normal subjects. Serum antibodies reactive with calsequestrin/1D were detected in 47% of patients with active TAO of less than 1 year, in 22% of patients with TAO longer than 3 years, 17% with Graves' hyperthyroidism without evident ophthalmopathy, in 10% of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and in 21% of normal subjects. The prevalence of anti-67-kd protein antibodies in TAO patients corresponded to those reactive with the so called "64-kd protein" that we have reported previously. In conclusion, we were able to improve the accuracy of the Western blots by comparing the molecular weight of positive bands using specific antibodies reactive with eye muscle antigens as probes. The previously recognized, and extensively studied, "64-kd protein" is now shown to have a molecular weight of 67 kd. The role of the various eye muscle antibodies in the diagnosis and management of the ophthalmopathy associated with Graves' hyperthyroidism needs to be addressed in prospective studies using purified or recombinant full-length proteins.