Clinical significance of elevated level of serum antithyroglobulin antibody in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer after thyroid ablation.
OBJECTIVE
This study was designed to investigate whether an elevated serum antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) reflects cancer recurrence in thyroglobulin (Tg)-undetectable patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) after thyroid ablation.


METHODS
We measured serum TgAb level and evaluated the disease status in 226 DTC patients who had undergone remnant ablation and showed an undetectable Tg result as assessed by immunoradiometric assay.


METHODS
Radioligand assay of TgAb was performed. Recurrence was assessed by 131I scan, 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, sonography, computed tomography, or by surgical operation.


RESULTS
Fifty-one patients (22.6%) of the Tg-undetectable patients showed positive TgAb, and 25 (49.0%) of these were confirmed with recurrence. The recurrence rate of TgAb-positive patients was higher than that of TgAb-negative patients (3.4%; P < 0.0001). During follow-up, 73.1% of the disease-free patients showed spontaneously decreased TgAb levels. A total of 71.4% of patients with recurrent cancer, who showed responses to surgical operation or radio-iodine treatment, also showed a decreased TgAb level.


CONCLUSIONS
Persistently elevated TgAb levels appear to serve as a useful marker for recurrent or persistent DTC in patients with undetectable serum Tg results. Thus, the routine measurement of TgAb in such patient populations may be indicated.
Chung
J-K
JK
Departments of Nuclear Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Korea.
Park
Y J
YJ
Kim
T Y
TY
So
Y
Y
Kim
S-K
SK
Park
D J
DJ
Lee
D S
DS
Lee
M C
MC
Cho
B Y
BY
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015592:Immunoradiometric Assay; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011379:Prognosis; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000532:radiotherapy / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy
D001323:Autoantibodies; D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D007457:Iodine Radioisotopes; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin; D013954:Thyroglobulin