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Nuklearmedizin 1983; 22(04): 204-211
DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1623805
Originalarbeiten - Original Articles
Schattauer GmbH

Serum Thyroglobulin Determinations in Patients with Differentiated Thyroid Carcinoma

Thyreoglobulinbestimmungen im Blutserum von Patienten mit differenziertem Schilddrüsenkarzinom
J. Bednář
1   From the Research Institute of Endocrinology, Praha, CSSR
,
J. Němec
1   From the Research Institute of Endocrinology, Praha, CSSR
,
V. Zamrazil
1   From the Research Institute of Endocrinology, Praha, CSSR
,
S. Váňa
1   From the Research Institute of Endocrinology, Praha, CSSR
,
D. Pohunková
1   From the Research Institute of Endocrinology, Praha, CSSR
,
S. Rohling
1   From the Research Institute of Endocrinology, Praha, CSSR
› Author Affiliations
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Publication History

Received: 16 June 1983

Publication Date:
10 January 2018 (online)

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Serum thyroglobulin levels were measured in 636 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma, in whom altogether 1240 determinations were performed in different phases of disease and treatment. A modified sensitive radioimmunoassay was employed using an own high-specific thyroglobulin antibody. The results showed that both the majority of patients with functioning metastases accumulating radioiodine and with non-functioning metastases which could not be detected by scanning had higher serum TG levels, compared with a group of healthy subjects. However, “normal” TG values in patients with metastases, especially non-functioning, were found too. Thus, these findings decrease the diagnostic value of the TG determination. The highest TG values were found in patients with distant metastases of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (in lungs and bones); on the other hand, the proportion of patients with lymph-node(s) métastasés and “normal” TG levels was relatively high. We suggest that the serum TG determination cannot generally replace scanning with l31I and cannot serve as the only test, while being a helpful indicator in the long-term follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer patients.

Bei 636 Kranken mit differenziertem Schilddrüsenkarzinom wurde der Thyreoglobulinspiegel im Blutserum bestimmt; insgesamt wurden 1240 Untersuchungen in verschiedenen Stadien der Krankheit und der Behandlung durchgeführt. Dabei wurde ein empfindlicher modifizierter Radioimmunoassay unter Benutzung eines eigenen hochspezifischen Thyreoglobulin-Antikörpers verwendet. Die Resultate ergaben, daß nicht nur die Mehrzahl von Patienten mit jodspeichernden Metastasen, sondern auch Patienten mit nicht funktionierenden Metastasen, die szintigraphisch nicht entdeckt werden konnten, höhere Thyreoglobulinwerte im Blutserum im Vergleich zu einer Gruppe von gesunden Probanden zeigten. Jedoch wurden auch bei Patienten mit Metastasen “normale” Thyreoglobulinwerte gefunden, besonders dort, wo keine Radiojodspeicherung vorhanden war. Daher verringern diese Befunde den diagnostischen Wert der Thyreoglobulinbestimmung. Die höchsten Werte wurden bei Patienten mit Fernmetastasen (Lungen- und Knochenmetastasen) des differenzierten Schilddrüsenkarzinomes gefunden; hingegen war der Anteil von Kranken mit Lymphknotenmetastasen und “normalem” Thyreoglobulinspiegel verhältnismäßig hoch. Wir schließen daraus, daß Thyreoglobulinbestimmungen im Blutserum generell szintigraphische Untersuchungen mittels 131J nicht ersetzen und auch nicht als alleiniger Test dienen können. Diese Methode kann jedoch als Indikator im Laufe der langfristigen klinischen Beobachtungen von Patienten mit differenziertem Schilddrüsenkarzinom benützt werden.

 

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