Clinical irrelevance of lower titer thyroglobulin autoantibodies in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Bernadette L Dekker; Anouk N A van der Horst-Schrivers; Adrienne H Brouwers; Christopher M Shuford; Ido P Kema; Anneke C Muller Kobold; Thera P Links

doi:10.1530/ETJ-22-0137

European Thyroid Journal (Jan 2023)

Clinical irrelevance of lower titer thyroglobulin autoantibodies in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Bernadette L Dekker,
Anouk N A van der Horst-Schrivers,
Adrienne H Brouwers,
Christopher M Shuford,
Ido P Kema,
Anneke C Muller Kobold,
Thera P Links

Affiliations

Bernadette L Dekker: Internal Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Anouk N A van der Horst-Schrivers: Internal Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands; Department of Emergency Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Adrienne H Brouwers: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Christopher M Shuford: Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings, Center for Esoteric Testing, Burlington, North California, USA
Ido P Kema: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Anneke C Muller Kobold: Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands
Thera P Links: Internal Medicine, Department of Endocrinology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, the Netherlands

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/ETJ-22-0137
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 6
pp. 1 – 9

Abstract

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Objective: Thyroglobulin (Tg) is an established tumor marker for different iated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients. However, Tg immunoassays can be subject to Tg autoantibody (TgAb) interference resulting in incorrect Tg values. Therefore, Tg measurement with liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) could be promising in patients with TgAbs. In this study, we compared Tg IRMA and Tg-LC-MS/MS analytically in the presence of TgAbs. Furthermore, we compared the clinical interpretation of results obtained by both Tg assays in DTC patients with lower TgAbs titers (>100)). In patients(n = 91) with lower TgAb titers at the time of 131I ablation therapy, the Tg assays showed a clinical concordance of 91.2, 87.9, and 98.9%, respectively, using a Tg cut-off value of 1.0, 2.0, and 5.0 ng/m L. Conclusions: In DTC patients with lower titer TgAbs, Tg-IRMA is still a reliable and useful tumor marker. In DTC patients with potentially interfering TgAbs, Tg-IRMA values decreased due to TgAb interference.

Published in European Thyroid Journal

ISSN: 2235-0802 (Online)
Publisher: Bioscientifica
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Medicine: Internal medicine: Specialties of internal medicine: Diseases of the endocrine glands. Clinical endocrinology
Website: https://etj.bioscientifica.com/

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