Elaine Moore, Home

What is Grave's Disease (GD)?
Who gets GD?
GD in Chilhood/Pregnancy
Symptoms
Laboratory Tests
Treatment Options
Alternative Med
Radioiodine Ablation

Autoimmune Thyroid Disease
Graves' Ophthalmopathy aka
Thyroid Eye Disease
Subclinical Hyperthyroidism
Subclinical Hypothyroidism
Hashitoxicosis
Goiter
Lymphoma
Other Autoimmune Diseases

Environmental Causes
Nutrient Deficiencies

Provocative Links
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My Graves Disease Book
My Articles on Suite 101

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Laboratory Tests

Blood Thyroid Function Tests, including levels of thyroid hormones and the pituitary hormone TSH are used to diagnose thyroid disorders. These tests are also used to monitor anti-thyroid drug therapy in GD patients and also thyroid hormone replacement therapy in patients who have become hypothyroid. Thyroid antibody tests are used to confirm GD and predict remission.

A positive test for stimulating TSH receptor antibodies, which is also known as thyroid stimulating antibodies (TSI) confirms Graves' disease although negative results do not rule out Graves'disease. The RAI-U test is an older and less specific test used to confirm Graves' disease.

An Improvement in Thyroid Antibody Testing
Measurements of thyroid hormone in the blood are used to diagnose hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism. Levels of the pituitary hormone TSH also reflect thyroid status as described in my article on laboratory tests. Positive thyroid antibody levels confirm that one has an autoimmune thyroid disorder. The RAI-U test may also be used to confirm GD, but it is not as sensitive a test.

How to Interpret Thyroid Laboratory Tests

Why Test for Thyroid Autoantibodies?

Are TSH levels the answer?

What is the Radioiodine Uptake Test?

Thyroid Growth Immunoglobulins

The TSH Nightmare- How the TSH test can be misleading

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Copyright 2004, Elaine Moore.