title: Serum thyroglobulin reference values according to NACB criteria in healthy subjects with normal thyroid ultrasound.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The present study was undertaken to establish serum thyroglobulin (Tg) normal reference values in a large group of healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Four hundred and thirty-eight non-smoking healthy subjects were selected to assess the Tg reference values (209 males, 229 non-pregnant females, age 34.7±13.1 years). Inclusion criteria were: no personal or familial history of thyroid disease, thyrotropin levels from 0.5 to 2.00 mUI/L, negative thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies. In addition, the patients had a normal size thyroid (females ≤18 mL, males ≤25 mL) without nodules on the thyroid ultrasound (TUS). According to National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry (NACB) criteria the Tg results were transformed to a logarithmic scale and reference ranges were calculated as mean±2 SD.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum Tg was measured on the Beckman Coulter UniCel DxI 800 automated platform by the simultaneous 1-step immunoenzymatic Access Thyroglobulin assay (Beckmann-Coulter SA, Nyon, Switzerland). Serum Tg levels were higher in females than in males (p=0.0022). Accordingly, gender-specific reference values were calculated (i.e., males: 1.40-29.2 ng/mL; females: 1.50-38.5 ng/mL).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  To the best of the authors' knowledge, the first reference interval study for Tg that integrates NACB criteria and TUS assessment for the selection of the reference population is provided here.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nuclear Medicine and Thyroid Centre, Oncology Institute of Southern Switzerland, Bellinzona, Switzerland. luca.giovanella@eoc.ch
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Giovanella
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Imperiali
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferrari
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: Lino
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Furlani
authors.forename: Maria Stella
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Graziani
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Castello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006262:Health; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012958:Societies, Scientific / Q000592:standards*; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D013954:Thyroglobulin