Description
Available in the UK only. Thyroid Advanced serves as the most comprehensive panel for detecting those patients that are suffering from thyroid dysfunction, in particular auto-immune thyroid conditions including Graves’ disease.
Thyroid Advanced includes TSH, T4, T3, fT4, fT3, TPO Ab, TG Ab, T uptake and rT3 and TSH Receptor Antibodies (TRAb). It is also useful for monitoring thyroid function.
Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) is produced by the anterior pituitary to control the thyroid gland’s production of thyroxine (T4), to store T4, and to release it into the bloodstream. TSH serves as a key test in thyroid diagnostics and is a very sensitive and specific parameter for assessing thyroid function.
Thyroxine (T4) is the major hormone secreted by the thyroid gland. Triiodothyronine (T3) is the most active thyroid hormone, primarily produced from the conversion of T4 in peripheral tissue.
Unbound T4 and T3, Free thyroxine (fT4) and Free Triiodothyronine (fT3) respectively, reflect the bioactive portion of thyroid hormones and can help identify both overt hyper- and hypothyroidism and more subtle subclinical thyroid dysfunction.
Thyroid antibody levels help assess autoimmune response, either to thyroglobulin (TG ab) or thyroid peroxidase (TPO Ab) which may affect the production of thyroid hormones T4 and T3 and may be raised in response to trauma, inflammation, thyroid degeneration and in either Hashimoto’s disease or Graves’ disease.
Reverse T3 is the amount of T3 in the body, not bound to protein but also not active which can increase when the peripheral conversion of T4 to active T3 is impaired, for example, due to nutrient shortages, heavy metal exposure, adrenal stress, enzyme deficiencies and due to other chronic illnesses.
The performance of a T uptake or TBC assay provides a measure of the available thyroxine binding sites.
TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) develop when a person’s immune system mistakenly targets the thyroid gland or thyroid proteins, leading to chronic inflammation of the thyroid (thyroiditis), tissue damage, and/or disruption of thyroid function. They are heterogeneous and may either mimic the action of TSH and cause hyperthyroidism or alternatively, antagonise the action of TSH and cause hypothyroidism.
Methodology
Medical Diagnosis is a private clinical pathology laboratory, ISO 15189 UKAS Standard accredited and regulated by the CareQuality Commission (CQC).
Standard specifications/Equipment/Techniques used:
Documented in-house methods and manufacturer’s instructions for Chemiluminescence immunoassay using the Snibe Maglumi 2000 plus documented in SOP WI-29 Maglumi 2000 Plus chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA)
When should I use
Thyroid function is essential for the primary regulation of all the body’s metabolic processes. Symptoms can include:
Fatigue
Depression
Feeling cold
Constipation
Poor skin
PMS, dysmenorrhoea
Poor fertility
Weight gain or inability to lose weight
Fluid retention
Anxiety and mood disorders
Decreased memory, concentration, or brain fog
Muscle and joint pain
Low libido
Hyperthyroid symptoms include:
Nervousness
Anxiety
Mood swings and irritability
Hyperactivity or feeling tired all the time
Palpitations
Sensitivity to heat
Other Details
As an alternative also consider the smaller panels BP003 Thyroid Basic if you do not need to assess rT3, t-uptake or TRAb or BP004 Thyroid Complete which includes rT3 and t-uptake but not TRAb
