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Updated: Nov 23, 2025

Generation of a Mouse Spontaneous Autoimmune Thyroiditis Model
Published on: March 17, 2023
Laboratory interference in the thyroid function test
Katarzyna Paczkowska1, Anna Otlewska2, Olga Loska3
1Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes, and Isotope Therapy, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland. katarzyna.paczkowska@student.umed.wroc.pl.
Abstract:
Thyroid hormones and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) laboratory tests are commonly used worldwide, and their results have an important influence on decisions about treatment and further diagnostic processes. Any discrepancies between symptoms and laboratory results or between results of different tests should be closely investigated to avoid misdiagnosis and unnecessary treatment. Inconsistencies in hormone tests might be a result of physiological changes in hormonal balance, a disease, drug intake, or laboratory interference. Major factors that interfere with thyroid function tests are: heterophilic antibodies, macro TSH, biotin, thyroid hormones autoantibodies, anti-streptavidin, and anti-ruthenium antibodies. In this paper we discuss the influence of different factors on the procedures of hormonal immunoassays, as well as methods to minimise the risk of false results and misdiagnoses.
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