Clinical significance of detecting serum thyroglobulin antibodies and thyroid peroxidase antibodies in patients with cold thyroid nodules

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of detecting serum thyroglobulin antibody(TGAb) and thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb) for evaluating the patients with cold thyroid nodules. Methods Serum levels of TGAb and TPOAb were measured in 85 patients with cold thyroid nodules before surgery.On the basis of postoperative pathological diagnosis,the patients were divided into 5 groups.The patients in group A(7 cases) were Hashimoto′s disease(HD) with benign nodules,those in group B(7 cases) HD with malignant nodules,C(19 cases) with thyroid carcinoma,D(44 cases) with nodular goiter and E(8 cases) with thyroid adenoma. Serum TGAb and TPOAb of 5 groups were analyzed.The difference in occurrence rate of malignancy was compared between the cases with double TGAb and TPOAb positive and those with TGAb and TPOAb negative. ResultsThe values and positive rates of TGAb and TPOAb were higher in groups of A and B than those in groups of C,D and E(P0.05).The positive rate of TGAb was higher in group C than that in group D(42.10% vs.11.36%)(P0.05).The occurrence rate of malignancy was higher in the cases with TGAb and TPOAb double positive than those with TGAb and TPOAb negative(50% vs.20.75%)(P0.05). Conclusion The higher levels of TGAb and TPOAb are most commonly found in the patients with HD.Compared to the patients with TGAb and TPOAb negative,the patients with TGAb and TPOAb double positive have higher risk for the occurrence of malignancy.