Thyroglobulin (TG; synonym: human thyroglobulin, hTG) is the storage form of thyroid hormones. When needed, active thyroid hormones are released from it into the blood.
Thyroglobulin can also be used as a so-called tumor marker. Tumor markers are substances produced naturally in the body by tumors and detectable in the blood. They can provide an indication of a malignant (malignant) neoplasm and are used as a follow-up test in cancer aftercare.
The procedure
Material needed
- Blood serum
Preparation of the patient
- Not necessary
Disruptive factors
- None known
Standard values
| Normal values in μg/ml | |
| Healthy (thyroid) | < 75 |
| After thyroidectomy (thyroidectomy). | < 3 |
Indications
- Suspected thyroid carcinoma (thyroid cancer).
- Therapy / progress control in the above-mentioned tumor disease.
- Destructive thyroiditis (thyroiditis de Quervin).
- Thyrotoxicosis factitia
Interpretation
Interpretation of increased values
- Benign thyroid disease
- Graves’ disease – hyperthyroidism (hyperthyroidism) caused by an autoimmune defect.
- Autonomous thyroid adenoma – benign tumor in the thyroid tissue.
- Goiter (thyroid enlargement) – euthyroid goiter/struma nodosa
- Follicular and papillary thyroid carcinoma (thyroid cancer).
Interpretation of decreased values
- No diagnostic significance
Further notes
- Approximately 10% of thyroid carcinomas form auto-antibodies against thyroglobulin, resulting in falsely low values! For better assessment, therefore, the thyroglobulin antibodies (Tg-AK) must be determined with.