Since the first publication, more than 40 years ago, laboratory tests for the presence of antibodies (Ab) to thyroid antigens (Ag) have played a pivotal position in the diagnosis of thyroid diseases. Thyroid is a common target for autoimmune diseases, hence the interest in the definition of the thyroid Ag that could be involved in the process. The first Ag to be recognized was thyroglobulin, followed by the “microsomal Ag”, later identified with thyroid peroxidase, the TSH receptor and, more […]

The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and the clinical and laboratory data of 210 patients coming from the municipality of Cabaceiras, Paraíba, were studied. They were classified in two groups: 1 (n=122), patients from the rural area with uninvestigated thyroid complaints, and 2 (n= 88) apparently healthy volunteers from the urban area. The study included clinical examination, hormonal evaluation (TSH, T3, FT4), determination of anti-microssomal antibodies (AAM), and ultrasonography (US) of the thyroid gland (not performed in volunteers). The majority of […]

We developed an assay in which highly purified human TPO is adsorbed to microtiter plate wells; after incubation with the study serum samples, presence of specific antibodies is revealed by a monoclonal europium-labeled antibody against human IgG. The sensitivity of the test is 0.6U/mL, and the reproducibility quite acceptable. We analyzed serum samples from: 188 normal subjects of both sexes, 74 of whom >65 years of age; 54 patients with Graves’ disease (GD) and 13 with Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT). Based […]