Every person who suffers from thyroid disorders or is examined by an endocrinologist for suspected autoimmune diseases has faced the need to donate blood for thyroglobulin. What it is, not all doctors explain. Therefore, people begin to look for information on the Internet or from friends. And often this leads to stressful situations, because, according to many, a thyroglobulin test is done when cancer is suspected. But it is not always the case. Therefore, those who are faced with the need to conduct such studies need to find out everything about thyroglobulin. What it is, you can find out from your doctor or other specialists. This is especially important for women, as they experience hormonal disruptions more often.
What is thyroglobulin?
The thyroid gland is represented by an accumulation of small spherical formations - follicles. Inside them, thyroglobulin protein is present in large quantities. What it is, know those who have disrupted the production of thyroid hormones. After all, this protein is the basis for their production.
Passing through the cells of the gland, thyroglobulin decomposes into a tyrosine molecule and iodine atoms. Thus thyroxine is obtained. This protein, a high molecular weight glycoprotein, can ensure the production of essential thyroid hormones for up to two weeks. And it turns out that he is a kind of form for storing them, from which they are released as needed. Not all patients who are prescribed a hormone test can answer the question: thyroglobulin - what is it? In women, such an examination is done more often, as they are more prone to hormonal disruptions and thyroid dysfunction.
Thyroglobulin antibodies
What it is, not everyone knows. In some diseases of the thyroid gland, autoimmune aggression of the body is possible. In this case, the synthesis of hormones is disrupted, because antibodies destroy thyroglobulin. What it is? This is a certain reaction of the body's immune system, which, with the help of special cells, destroys the protein, mistaking it for a foreign element. As a result, a person experiences a lack of thyroid hormones. Often symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, weight loss indicate this. And then they prescribe an analysis for antibodies to thyroglobulin.
This is done even in the presence of diseases that increase the risk of thyroid dysfunction:
- Down syndrome;
- insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus;
- rheumatoid arthritis;
-hemolytic anemia.
In addition, such a study should be done to pregnant women with autoimmune diseases when determining the cause of infertility and to identify risk groups among children whose mothers have endocrine disorders.
Blood norm
This protein is found mainly in thyroid follicles. Only in very small quantities thyroglobulin is released into the blood. Its norm depends on many factors, and it is different for each person. The amount of thyroglobulin is determined by the size of the thyroid gland, the activity of its functioning and the body's need for hormones.
But there are certain limits, the excess of which indicates deviations in the functioning of the thyroid gland. Most often this happens when its cells are destroyed, caused by inflammatory processes or external causes. Therefore, an analysis for thyroglobulin is rarely prescribed. The norm of its content in the blood is not more than 50 ng / ml. The analysis can show how big the thyroid gland is, how actively it functions, and whether there are inflammatory processes in it. In most cases, when examining the level of thyroglobulin, it is not the amount in the blood that is important, but the dynamics, that is, an increase or decrease over time.
Indications for testing
Sometimes it happens that doctors unreasonably prescribe a blood test for thyroglobulin. Not all patients know what it is, and such an analysis scares many. But it is not always done when a cancerous tumor is suspected. Only thosepatients who have had their thyroid gland removed, such a study is indicated regularly to prevent relapses. In addition, they do an analysis for thyroglobulin and those who are being treated with radioactive iodine in order to monitor the effectiveness of therapy.
Assign him in some other cases:
- to study the development of congenital hyperthyroidism in babies;
- to control the development of thyroiditis;
- in a comprehensive study of iodine deficiency;
- to calculate the effectiveness of hyperthyroidism therapy.
How to get tested?
- Blood sampling is done from a vein in the morning, on an empty stomach. It is advisable not to eat since the evening, do not smoke, exclude heavy physical exertion and avoid stressful situations.
- To obtain reliable results, you must also do an analysis for anti-thyroglobulin. What it is? These are antibodies to the protein that destroy it. If there are a lot of them, then the level of thyroglobulin in the blood will be low.
- Three weeks before blood donation, treatment with drugs containing thyroxine and other thyroid hormones should be stopped.
- An analysis to determine the recurrence of oncological diseases is done no earlier than three months after surgery or six months after the use of radioactive iodine.
Thyroglobulin elevated - what does it mean?
If a lot of this protein is released into the blood, this may be due to the destruction of thyroid cells. This can happen with various endocrine and autoimmune diseases. Therefore, elevated thyroglobulin indicates that the patient may have:
- thyroiditis;
- diffuse toxic goiter;
- Graves' disease;
- benign adenoma;
- purulent inflammation of the thyroid gland;
- complications after surgery, thyroid biopsy or trauma;
- destruction of thyroid cells for other reasons.
Also, an increase in the level of this protein in the blood occurs after the use of radioactive iodine for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors. Thyroglobulin levels are also slightly elevated in patients with Down syndrome, in patients with severe liver failure, or during pregnancy.
What can affect the results of the analysis?
Most often, false results are detected in the presence of antibodies to thyroglobulin. Therefore, their presence also needs to be identified. The results may be affected by the use of hormonal drugs, iodine preparations, the presence of chronic infectious diseases or a hereditary predisposition. In addition, the analysis may be unreliable due to radiation exposure or the presence of toxins in the blood. Even severe stress can affect the level of thyroglobulin and antibodies to it. It has been established that the concentration of this protein also increases during pregnancy, as well as in women in old age. And taking oral contraceptives leads to an increase in antibodies to thyroglobulin. It may also affect the resultsanalysis.
Is thyroglobulin a tumor marker?
Many patients, who have not been explained what the analysis is for, turn to Internet sources. They are interested in the question: thyroglobulin is elevated - what does this mean? Often they find the wrong answer, which leads to a lot of stress. After all, some sources believe that thyroglobulin is a tumor marker and its elevated level indicates the risk of cancer.
But actually it is not. Most often, such an analysis is done after the removal of the thyroid gland to control the formation of metastases. After all, thyroglobulin can be produced not only by the gland itself, but also by a cancerous tumor. Therefore, this protein is a tumor marker only in the absence of the thyroid gland. Such patients after successful cancer therapy are tested for thyroglobulin several times a year. This is the only way to determine the recurrence of the disease. But the primary tumor cannot be determined in this way, since the level of this protein in the presence of a functioning thyroid gland is not associated with tumor development.
