Prevalence of autoantibodies to thyroglobulin in dogs with nonthyroidal illness

To evaluate a thyroglobulin autoantibody (TgAA) assay and determine a diagnostic threshold.

Serum samples from dogs with various endocrine abnormalities and from 30 obese adult female Beagles.

TgAA were determined by use of the ELISA. Six experiments were done: 1, definition of positive results for TgAA using samples from normal and T3 autoantibody (T3AA) positive dogs; 2, establishment of prevalence of positive results in 91 clinically normal dogs; 3, evaluation of positive results for sera from dogs with nonthyroidal illnesses; 4, testing of samples from dogs with primary hypothyroidism but absence of T4AA or T3AA, or both; 5, determination of prevalence of false-negative results in dogs that are T4AA and/or T3AA positive, which were (18 dogs) or were not (22 dogs) receiving L-thyroxine replacement therapy; and 6, examination of thyroid biopsy specimens from 18 dogs (8 TgAA positive and 10 TgAA negative).

Positive results were defined as at least twice (200%) the optical density of the negative-control sample. False-positive results were obtained for only 3.4% of 146 dogs with nonthyroidal illness. Thirty-seven percent of dogs with primary hypothyroidism, but no evidence of T4AA or T3AA, or both, were TgAA positive. False-negative results were found in 1 of 22 and 2 of 18 T3AA-positive dogs with and without thyroid replacement therapy, respectively. Thyroid biopsy specimens from 8 TgAA-positive dogs had evidence of lymphocytic thyroiditis, whereas those from 10 TgAA-negative dogs did not.

The assay is sensitive and specific for identification of lymphocytic autoimmune thyroiditis in dogs, and has potential for aiding early diagnosis of thyroiditis in dogs and identifying dogs likely to perpetuate hypothyroidism in breeding programs.