Circulating thyroid autoantibodies are widely implicated in the etiology of autoimmune thyroid diseases. Both thyroglobulin (TG) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) autoantibodies are routinely measured in clinical practice. Serum autoantibodies to thyroid microsomal antigen(s) are commonly detected in patients with autoimmune thyroid diseases, and their presence correlates well with histologic changes in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Antibodies to thyroid antigens are positive in approximately 70–90% of patients with chronic thyroiditis. These antibodies are also found in 64% of patients with primary hypothyroidism, 50% with thyrotoxicosis, 10% with simple goiters, and 17% with thyroid tumors. Thyroglobulin autoantibodies are typically detected at high titers in autoimmune thyroiditis and Graves’ disease. Serum autoantibodies to thyroglobulin/colloid are present in 40–70% of patients with chronic thyroiditis and in smaller percentages of those with thyrotoxicosis or nontoxic goiters.

• Room temperature (15–30°C): up to 8 hours
• 2–8°C: up to 48 hours
• –20°C or below: for longer storage
  Send frozen serum on dry ice. Do not freeze samples in self-defrosting freezers. Avoid repeat

Enhanced Chemiluminescence.

• Anti-TPO: < 9 IU/mL
• Anti-TG: < 4.0 IU/mL

1. Davies TF and DeBernardo E, Thyroid autoantibodies and disease. In “Autoimmune Endocrine Disease”, TF Davies ed, Wiley, New York, NY, 1983, p. 127.
2. Wall JR and Kuroki T. Immunologic Factors in thyroid disease. Medical Clini

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