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Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model
Published on: March 17, 2023
Spurious hypercalcitoninemia in patients with nodular thyroid disease induced by heterophilic antibodies
Jung Min Kim1, Ki-Wook Chung, Seok Won Kim
1Research Institute and Hospital, National Cancer Center, Gyeonggi, Korea.
Background:
Serum calcitonin is the most useful tumor marker for the diagnosis and follow-up of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC). Spurious hypercalcitoninemia caused by heterophilic antibody interference (HAI) is rarely found in patients without MTC.
Methods:
We studied 2 patients with hypercalcitoninemia and thyroid nodules, but no evidence of MTC on fine-needle aspiration cytology. We performed calcium stimulation tests, measured serum calcitonin with another calcitonin kit, performed dilution tests, and remeasured serum calcitonin after applying heterophilic blocking tubes.
Results:
In a 31-year-old woman with no response to the calcium stimulation test, serum calcitonin was <5 pg/mL using another kit. After we applied heterophilic blocking tubes, the serum calcitonin level decreased to normal range. We concluded that patient had spurious hypercalcitoninemia. In a 63-year-old woman, all tests revealed that the patient had true hypercalcitoninemia. The patient underwent total thyroidectomy that revealed MTC.
Conclusions:
We suggest that patients suspected for spurious hypercalcitoninemia should undergo further investigation due to HAI.
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