Drug-Induced Graves Disease From CTLA-4 Receptor Suppression

Monoclonal antibody, ipilimumab, useful for treatment of metastatic melanoma, blocks CTLA-4 mediated T-cell suppression and can also cause a Graves ophthalmopathy like syndrome. Epidemiologic study has linked variant polymorphisms of CTLA-4 receptor gene to the presence of thyroid eye disease. The combination of these observations suggests CTLA-4 mediated T-cell functions are important to the pathogenesis of thyroid-associated eye disease.