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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 27, 2026

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model

Published on: March 17, 2023

Further studies on delineating thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) reference range.

M Zarković¹, J Cirić, B Beleslin

¹School of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Serbia. mzarkov@eunet.rs

Hormone and Metabolic Research = Hormon- Und Stoffwechselforschung = Hormones Et Metabolisme

|November 10, 2011

Summary

This study established a thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) reference range of 0.45-3.43 mIU/L. A TSH threshold of 3.09 mIU/L effectively identified individuals with a high probability of thyroid dysfunction.

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Last Updated: May 27, 2026

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Published on: June 6, 2014

Area of Science:

Endocrinology
Clinical Chemistry
Thyroidology

Background:

Thyroid dysfunction is a common endocrine disorder.
Accurate thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) reference ranges are crucial for diagnosis.
Existing TSH reference ranges may not optimally identify individuals at risk for thyroid dysfunction.

Purpose of the Study:

To determine the TSH concentration in a healthy reference group.
To compare TSH levels between a reference group and subjects with a high probability of thyroid dysfunction.
To establish an optimal TSH threshold for identifying thyroid dysfunction.

Main Methods:

A reference group (n=316) was established by excluding individuals with thyroid disease, thyroid-influencing medications, elevated thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies, or abnormal thyroid ultrasound.
A high-probability thyroid dysfunction group (n=42) was defined by elevated TPO antibodies, altered echogenicity, and abnormal thyroid parenchyma structure.
TSH levels were measured, and statistical analyses were performed to determine reference ranges and diagnostic thresholds.

Main Results:

The TSH reference range in the healthy group was 0.45-3.43 mIU/L.
A TSH threshold of 3.09 mIU/L demonstrated 95% specificity and 38.1% sensitivity for distinguishing the high-probability group.
Two methods for determining the upper TSH limit yielded similar results, suggesting a conservative upper limit of 3.4 mIU/L.

Conclusions:

The established TSH reference range is 0.45-3.43 mIU/L for both sexes.
A TSH threshold of 3.09 mIU/L can aid in identifying individuals with a high likelihood of thyroid dysfunction.
A conservative upper TSH reference limit of 3.4 mIU/L is proposed for clinical use.