Endocrine Abstracts

Purpose: The long-term monitoring of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma is essential throughout the patient’s life after total or near total thyroidectomy followed by I-131 ablation after thyroid suppression using recombinant TSH (Thyrogen).

As known the administration of rhTSH increase the sensitivity of Tg concentrations measurements. Antithyroglobulin antibodies are common clinical problem in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma. Because the presence of these antibodies usually interferes with serum globulin.

Methods and materials: We used the recombinant human TSH in 20 patients one year after the ablation therapy. All patients underwent WBS I-131 scan and thyroglobulin (Tg) and antithyroglobulin antibodies (ATG) were measured using eclia assay technique.

Results: 8 patients had positive anti-Tg antibodies and in these patients the result was confirmed using the Tg confirmatory test (Roche Cobas 6000 eclia method).

In 3 patients the percentage recovery wasn’t in our laboratory’s expected values (a finding of 70–130% indicates correct recovery). In these patients we suggest another I-131 therapy.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that ATG determination and the following recovery test may determine some additional information to the follow-up of patients with DTC. We have to improve our ability to predict and monitor wich patients are likely to be harmed by their disease or oppose to those who will live unaffected by theirs.