Advanced Dental Admission Test (ADAT)

What condition is characterized by increased circulating levels of thyroid stimulating immunoglobulins?

1. Hypothyroidism

2. Graves disease

3. Cretinism

4. Thyroiditis

The correct answer is: Graves disease

Graves disease is an autoimmune disorder that leads to a hyperactive thyroid gland and the condition is specifically characterized by the presence of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins (TSIs). These immunoglobulins are antibodies that mimic the action of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), stimulating the thyroid gland to produce excess thyroid hormones. The result is an overproduction of hormones, which can lead to symptoms such as weight loss, increased heart rate, anxiety, and goiter. In contrast, the other conditions listed typically do not involve increased levels of these specific immunoglobulins. Hypothyroidism is characterized by low levels of thyroid hormones, cretinism is a severe form of hypothyroidism that occurs in infancy, and thyroiditis refers to inflammation of the thyroid, which can present in various forms but does not necessarily imply the presence of TSI. Thus, the distinctly increased circulating levels of thyroid-stimulating immunoglobulins make Graves disease the correct answer in this context.