Utiger R.D.
Clinical Thyroidology, 2002. 14(1): p.6.
Hyperthyroidism is far more common in cats than in other animals. The usual causes are a toxic uninodular or multinodular goiter, but a few cats seem to have a diffuse goiter, raising the possibility that they have the feline counterpart of Graves’ disease. This study was done to clone the feline thyrotropin (TSH) receptor, determine its structure, and define the properties of the receptor, including whether it can be activated by serum or serum immunoglobulins from cats with hyperthyroidism or humans with hyperthyroidism caused by Graves’ disease. In addition, the effect of serum from cats and humans with hyperthyroidism was compared in a radioreceptor assay using porcine TSH receptors.