Thyroid autoantibodies

The characteristics of thyroid autoantibodies are reviewed and new assays f or the autoantibodies described, in particular point of care (POC) tests fo r thyroid peroxidase (TPO) autoantibodies and for thyroglobulin (Tg) autoan tibodies. These POC tests depend on the ability of the autoantibodies to in hibit gold labelled human monoclonal antibodies binding to TPO or to Tg. Th e POC tests show similar sensitivity and specificity to conventional ELISA for the autoantibodies. A new ELISA to measure autoantibodies to the TSH re ceptor (TRAb) is described. is based on TSH receptor coated onto plate well s by way of a monoclonal antibody. Comparison of porcine and human TSH rece ptors indicates that there is no advantage in using human TSHR in assay sys tems based on competition between TRAb and bovine or porcine TSH for immobi lised TSHR. In terms of the origins of Graves' disease, it is speculated th at this most common overt autoimmune disease in man might have occurred fir st when Homo sapiens sapiens migrated rapidly out of Africa about 100,000 y ears ago.