Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
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Biotin-binding immunoglobulin (BBI) was recently identified in human serum and has been suggested to have a significant association with allergic and autoimmune disorders. Attempts were made to evaluate the clinical significance of BBI in autoimmune thyroid disorders. Prevalence of BBI was significantly higher in Graves' disease (47%) than in Hashimoto's disease (8%) and healthy controls (10%). ⋯ There was no significant relationship between BBI prevalence and thyroid hormone concentrations, anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TGAb) or anti-thyroid microsomal antibody (McAb) titers. In addition, biotin levels in peripheral blood and red blood cells and biotinidase activity did not differ in the BBI detected and non-detected groups. The present results suggest that BBI is associated with autoimmune dysfunction in Graves' disease.