The Quantitative Thyroglobulin without TGAB test contains 1 test with 2 biomarkers.
Description: The Thyroglobulin Quantitative test is a blood test that is used to detect and measure thyroglobulin levels to test for thyroid disorders.
Also Known As: Tg Test, Thyroglobulin Test
Collection Method: Blood Draw
Specimen Type: Serum
Test Preparation: No preparation required
When is a Thyroglobulin test ordered?
Prior to the surgical excision of the thyroid gland for malignancy, a thyroglobulin test may be requested. Additionally, it is done after therapy is finished to see if any remaining thyroid tissue—whether healthy or cancerous—may have been left over. After surgery, it is frequently requested on a monthly basis to make sure the tumor has not returned or spread.
When a patient exhibits signs of hyperthyroidism and/or an enlarged thyroid gland and the doctor feels that the patient might be suffering from a thyroid condition like Graves disease or thyroiditis, the doctor may occasionally order a thyroglobulin test. When someone is receiving anti-thyroid drug treatment, it could be prescribed periodically to assess how well the medicine is working.
Rarely, it may be prescribed when a baby exhibits hypothyroidism-related symptoms.
When a person has irregular TSH and/or free T4 test results, symptoms of low or high thyroid hormone levels, or the appearance of a goiter, testing may be performed, especially if the reason is considered to be an autoimmune condition.
Hypothyroidism can produce a variety of symptoms, including:
- Gaining weight
- Fatigue
- Skin that is dry
- Hair loss
- Cold intolerance
- Constipation
Hyperthyroidism can produce symptoms such as:
- Sweating
- Heart rate that is quite fast
- Anxiety
- Tremors
- Fatigue
- Sleeping problems
- Sudden weight loss
- Eyes that protrude
What does a Thyroglobulin blood test check for?
The thyroid gland makes the protein thyroglobulin. Thyroglobulin in the blood is measured by this test.
The thyroid gland creates hormones that aid in controlling how quickly the body burns through energy. It is a tiny, butterfly-shaped organ that rests flat against the windpipe in the throat. Thyroglobulin is produced and stored mostly in very tiny, ball-shaped structures called follicles.
T4 and T3 are derived from thyroglobulin. The pituitary hormone TSH stimulates the synthesis of these hormones as well as their release into the bloodstream.
All healthy people generate thyroglobulin, albeit its blood content is often quite low. Both benign and malignant illnesses result in an increase in thyroglobulin concentration. Therefore, it can be used to monitor patients with thyroid papillary and follicular cancer after diagnosis. On the one hand, it is a non-specific sign of a thyroid dysfunction.
Lab tests often ordered with a Thyroglobulin test:
- T3 Free
- T3 Total
- T4 Free
- T4 Total
- T3 Reverse
- T3 Uptake
- Thyroid Peroxidase
- Thyroglobulin Antibodies
- TSH
Conditions where a Thyroglobulin test is recommended:
- Hyperthyroidism
- Hypothyroidism
- Hashimotos
- Graves’ Disease
- Autoimmune Diseases
- Thyroid Cancer
How does my health care provider use a Thyroglobulin test?
The main purposes of the thyroglobulin test are to monitor for recurrence and assess the efficacy of thyroid cancer treatment. The most prevalent kinds of thyroid cancer, the well-differentiated papillary and follicular thyroid tumors, typically do so, leading to elevated levels of thyroglobulin in the blood. However, thyroid malignancies do not always create thyroglobulin.
Prior to thyroid cancer treatment, thyroglobulin testing and a TSH test may be done to ascertain whether the malignancy is making thyroglobulin. If so, the test can be requested on a regular basis after treatment to check for cancer recurrence. To examine the change in concentration, several thyroglobulin levels may be ordered throughout time. The change frequently offers more details than just one value.
In some cases, thyroglobulin testing is required to evaluate the efficacy of treatment for illnesses like Graves disease and to help identify the origin of hyperthyroidism.
Rarely, the test may be required to distinguish between subacute thyroiditis and thyrotoxicosis factitia, as well as to identify the root cause of congenital hypothyroidism in infants.
To aid in the diagnosis and/or monitoring of an autoimmune thyroid condition, one or more of the following tests may be used:
- Thyroid peroxidase antibody, an antibody that targets thyroid peroxidase enzyme in the thyroid gland, can be seen in Graves disease and Hashimoto thyroiditis.
- Thyroglobulin antibody is an antibody that targets thyroglobulin, the thyroid hormone's storage form.
These tests may be conducted to determine the reason of an enlarged thyroid or other symptoms linked to low or high thyroid hormone levels. When other thyroid test findings, such as total or free T3, free T4, and/or TSH, indicate thyroid dysfunction, testing may be done as a follow-up.
A thyroid antibody test or several thyroid antibody tests may be conducted to see if a person with an autoimmune disorder is at risk of thyroid dysfunction. Disorders like systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, and pernicious anemia can cause this.
A thyroglobulin test may be used to monitor someone who is being treated for thyroid cancer. The thyroglobulin antibody test is utilized in this scenario to see if the antibody is present in the person's blood and will interfere with the thyroglobulin level test.
What do my thyroglobulin results mean?
In extremely little amounts, thyroglobulin is found in the blood of every healthy person.
Thyroglobulin may serve as a tumor marker if levels are initially high in a thyroid cancer patient who has been diagnosed with the disease.
After the surgical excision of the thyroid and/or after subsequent radioactive iodine treatments, thyroglobulin levels should be undetectable or extremely low. A person may still have some normal or cancerous remaining thyroid tissue in their body, necessitating further therapy, if the thyroglobulin content in their blood is still detectable after surgery.
Following a thyroglobulin test, a medical professional could recommend radioactive iodine scans and/or treatments to find and/or eliminate any thyroid cancer or normal thyroid tissue that may still be present. Thyroglobulin levels are then rechecked a few weeks or months later to make sure the treatment was effective, and they are then routinely tested after that.
The cancer is likely returning or spreading if the level of thyroglobulin is low for a few weeks or months following surgery but gradually starts to climb over time.
Thyroglobulin levels that are declining in Graves disease patients after treatment show a positive response.
The test is not frequently requested with illnesses like goiter, thyroiditis, or hyperthyroidism, but people with these conditions may have elevated thyroglobulin levels.
We advise having your results reviewed by a licensed medical healthcare professional for proper interpretation of your results.
