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Low serum thyroxine due to anti-thyroxine antibody
Endocrinologia Japonica
|June 1, 1978
Summary
In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, radioimmunoassay (RIA) for thyroxine (T4) can yield falsely low results due to anti-thyroxine antibodies. This impacts interpreting thyroid function tests in autoimmune thyroid disease.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Immunology
- Clinical Chemistry
Background:
- Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a common autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid gland.
- Accurate measurement of thyroid hormones, such as thyroxine (T4), is crucial for diagnosis and management.
- Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and competitive protein binding analysis (CPBA) are common methods for T4 quantification.
Observation:
- A patient with untreated Hashimoto's thyroiditis exhibited a significantly lower serum T4 level when measured by RIA compared to CPBA.
- The discrepancy in T4 values was investigated and attributed to the presence of autoantibodies against thyroxine in the patient's serum.
Findings:
- The presence of anti-thyroxine autoantibodies interferes with the RIA method for T4 measurement.
- These autoantibodies can bind to T4, leading to an underestimation of the actual T4 concentration when using RIA with resin separation.
Implications:
- Interpreting RIA-derived T4 values in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases requires careful consideration of potential antibody interference.
- This finding highlights the importance of method selection and awareness of interfering factors in laboratory diagnostics for thyroid disorders.