Radioimmunoassay of Thyroxine-Binding Globulin: Evaluation of a Kit and Diagnostic Application
Serum thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) was measured by using a radioimmunoassay method. The within-batch coefficient of variation (CV) of the assay was 5 % or less at different TBG concentrations with a between-batch variation of less than 10%. The mean TBG concentration in hypothyroidism (28·5 ±6·7 mg/l) was significantly higher, and that in hyperthyroidism (22·3 ±3·5 mg/l) was significantly lower, than the euthyroid mean (25·4 ±6·9 mg/l). Acutely ill patients suffering from various non-thyroidal illnesses were found to have significantly low mean TBG (13·8 ± 4·3 mg/l). A group of women in late pregnancy had a higher mean value, as expected. Serum TBG level, however, was ineffective as a thyroid function test because of overlapping concentrations between groups. The derived index T4:TBG ratio was found to be superior to free thyroxine index (FTI) in many cases of acutely ill patients, pregnancy, and hereditary TBG abnormality. The 95% confidence limit for the ratio in euthyroids was 2·3 to 7·1. Serum TBG level with T4:TBG ratio is recommended as a replacement for the T3-uptake test and FTI.