There is evidence that iodoarachidonates are mediators of iodide in thyroid autoregulation, however, their occurrence in vivo has not yet been demonstrated. We therefore tried to identify delta-iodolactone (5-Hydroxy-6-iodo-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic delta-lactone, IL-delta) in thyroid tissue from a patient with Graves' disease treated with high doses of iodide. Lipids were extracted from thyroid tissue, purified by reversed phase chromatography and analyzed by gas chromatography--tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MSMS). The retention time in gas chromatography and fragmentation pattern in tandem mass spectrometry were determined with biochemically synthesized non-deuterated and deuterated IL-delta. According to retention time (13.44 min) and specific fragments (m/z 303, m/z 259) the occurrence of IL-delta could be demonstrated in the extract of iodide treated goiter. In vitro, potassium iodide (40 microM) as well as IL-delta (1.0 microM) significantly inhibited the proliferation of human thyroid follicular cells induced by phorbol ester TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate). These results demonstrate for the first time that Il-delta is present in iodide treated human thyroid. As cell proliferation is under negative control of IL-delta, a crucial role in thyroid involution following iodide treatment may be possible.