title: Changes in serum thyroglobulin antibody levels as a dynamic prognostic factor for early-phase recurrence of thyroglobulin antibody-positive papillary thyroid carcinoma after total thyroidectomy.
abstract: We demonstrated previously that dynamic prognostic markers such as the thyroglobulin (Tg)-doubling time in thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb)-negative papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and changes in pre- and postoperative TgAb levels in TgAb-positive PTC patients more keenly reflect patients' prognosis than conventional static prognostic factors. Here we investigated periodic changes in TgAb levels in 513 TgAb-positive PTC patients who underwent total thyroidectomy. The TgAb levels at 1 year after surgery decreased to <50% of the preoperative values in 407 (79%) patients, and the remaining 106 (21%) patients showed no decrease in TgAb. In 426 patients, TgAb was also measured more than 1 year after surgery. Compared with their TgAb levels 1 year after surgery, 59 patients (14%) showed an increase in TgAb levels of >20% during the follow-up. The postoperative Tg levels at 1 year after surgery remained positive in 44 (9%) patients despite their TgAb positivity. To date (median follow-up period 35 months), 12 of the 426 patients (3%) showed PTC recurrence, and 11 of these patients showed either or both a TgAb elevation later than 1 year after surgery and postoperative Tg positivity. Although further studies with longer follow-ups are necessary, we can conclude that changes in postoperative TgAb levels may be usable as a surrogate tumor marker for TgAb-positive PTC patients after total thyroidectomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Head and Neck Surgery, Kuma Hospital, Kobe 650-0011, Japan.
authors.forename: Osamu
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miyauchi
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakayama
authors.forename: Tomonori
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yabuta
authors.forename: Hiroo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Masuoka
authors.forename: Mitsuhiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Takuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higashiyama
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kihara
authors.forename: Kaoru
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Miya
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002291:Carcinoma, Papillary / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology; D011379:Prognosis; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology*; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000276:immunology / Q000601:surgery; D013965:Thyroidectomy; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D013954:Thyroglobulin