Can someone explain to me what an anti-thyroglobulin antibodies test is please?

[Hamer5]

My anti tpo are 241 IU/ml and my antithroglobulin antibodies test was 584iu/ml

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

This is how I see things:

If your thyroid is being attacked by your the lymphocytes of your immune system, then the individual cells are ruptured and the contents of those cells and the follicles those cells enclose float out into the bloodstream. The immune system detects these odd substances and releases antibodies which help in sweeping them up.

Two substances are unique to the thyroid - thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin. So if there are antibodies that are specific to those substances, it implies that your thyroid is being attacked. That is why the tests are done, and, indeed, why these specific tests. (Anything else is not specific to the thyroid.)

Some people are positive to only one of these tests.

Rod

[Hamer5 in reply to helvella]

Thank you for replying rod,

I am sorry to sound so stupid but what does it mean then to be positive to both tests?

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Hamer5]

Being positive on either test is taken as an indicator of autoimmune thyroid disease (aka Hashimoto's).

I am not aware of any understanding as to why some people are positive to only one of these tests. It follows, that I have no idea what it means if someone is positive to both. From memory, a large proportion of people who are positive to one are actually positive to both, if tested. But many people only get tested for one.

Rod

[BrecklandRanger in reply to helvella]

Can I ask if this test comes under another name? Also, is this offered privately in the UK?