A new paper in Thyroid journal showing TSH comes in many forms

[diogenes]

Today Thyroid have published a paper studying the forms of TSH in women. In fertie women, there seems often to be a form of TSH which is unusally large (its also found temporarily in newborns but disappears quite quickly). Exactly how active it is compared with normal TSH I do not know. Also there were quite a large number of cases where anti-mouse antibodies interfered with the test. So a warning that TSH values can be spurious in different circumstances.

Hyperthyrotropinemia in Females of Reproductive Age

Naoki Hattori, Kohzo Aisaka, Kazuhisa Chihara, and Akira Shimatsu

Published Online:18 Sep 2018 doi.org/10.1089/thy.2017.0624

[jimh111]

Interesting. Doctors tend to be unaware that TSH comes as a group of isoforms with differing bioactivity. From hypothyroid patients' point of view depression, starvation, severe illness or a down-regulated axis can produce TSH isoforms with reduced activity leading to low normal fT3 / fT4 with a normal TSH. This gives 'normal' blood test results but considerable hypothyroid signs and symptoms. A form of central hypothyroidism that is not recognised.

[Kitten44 in reply to jimh111]

Do you have any references to papers that discuss this?

Thanks!

[diogenes Remembering in reply to Kitten44]

One here downloadable:

Thyroid. 2014 Mar 1; 24(3): 411–423.

doi: 10.1089/thy.2013.0119

PMCID: PMC3949435

PMID: 24073798

Thyrotropin Isoforms: Implications for Thyrotropin Analysis and Clinical Practice

Joshua M. Estrada, Danielle Soldin, Timothy M. Buckey,Kenneth D. Burman, and Offie P. Soldin,

[diogenes Remembering in reply to Kitten44]

Another from Medscape:

Thyrotropin/Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Measurement

[Kitten44 in reply to diogenes]

Thanks so much, Diogenes! I've downloaded them

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Just to clarify as I am not sure I understood correctly.The women tested had fertility problems and 17 %of them had these macro Tsh particles. They only tested women with a Tsh of over 2.5. The mice are lost on me completely.

[MiniMum97]

Anti-mouse antibodies?!? They sound quite handy. My cats have brought in three live mice in the last two days! 🐁 🐁 🐁

[penny in reply to MiniMum97]

...and then they let them go and the mice go under the sofa or a piece of furniture.

[Hidden]

I am thinking that if these large isoforms have been found in women with fertility issues could they be a biological marker for PCOS.