Thyroglobulin levels in serum and saliva of patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma

Abstract

Serum thyroglobulin levels in 39 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma and in 10 healthy volunteers were studied by radioimmunoassay. Sera from two of these patients were analysed preoperatively. Both of these sera showed thyroglobulin levels higher than that obtained from normal individuals. Serum thyroglobulin levels of 10 normal subjects varied between 1.0 to 20.0 ng/ml, Thirteen patients who were in remission showed serum thyroglobulin levels between 0.1 to 18.5 ng/ml which is within the normal range. Patients with bone metastasis had elevated serum thyroglobulin levels while those with lung metastasis had normal serum thyroglobulin levels. Salivary secretion from normal subjects showed thyroglobulin levels between 0.8 to 7.0 ng/ml., while that from thyroid cancer patients ranged between 0.4 to 27.5 ngjml, It appears that salivary thyroglobulin is at pari passu with serum thyroglobulin levels.