Who developed the TSH test ?

[marsaday]

I need some info on the scientist who developed the TSH test and the fact he thinks it is a poor test to diagnose with.

Does anyone have any links or info on this, thanks ?

[jimh111]

There is a link to one of Robert Utiger's orginal papers in my topic on subnormal TSH secretion ibshypo.com/index.php/subno... in which he warns that TSH can vary in bioactitivity and that some patients will be hypothyroid because they will secrete insufficient TSH. There's also a link to a statement from Dr Gordon Skinner pointing out that the presence of TSH does not equte to its bioactivity. I believe Dr Skinner also wrote this in his book but can't find the relevant paragraph.

[DippyDame]

These links may help...

hormonechoicesingapore.com/...

bmcendocrdisord.biomedcentr...

I think you will find that it isn't the TSH test per se that is "poor" but rather the way that it is now being used by medics..see second link

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to DippyDame]

One of the issues is that TSH exists in multiple forms - slight variations in glycosylation. (Number of sugars attached to the main TSH molecule.)

These variants behave slightly differently in our bodies but the TSH test is unable to distinguish them.

In that sense, the TSH test itself is poor.

[DippyDame in reply to helvella]

I bow to your greater knowledge....that's interesting.

Thank you

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to DippyDame]

You might find this paper of interest:

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

[Lesleyg13]

Malcolm Kendrick mentioned the company but not the man's name:

"The lab tests, especially for TSH, are far from 100% reliable, to say the very least. In fact the man who developed the test in the UK, at Amersham International in Wales, has told me that the test is virtually worthless in many cases (especially continuous testing when patients are taking thyroid hormone replacement)."

drmalcolmkendrick.org/2015/...

[BB001]

tpauk.com/main/article/dr-a...