Thyroid Function in Japanese Adults as Assessed by a General Health Checkup System in Relation with Thyroid-Related Antibodies and Other Clinical Parameters

Abstract

In Japanese adults who chose to be screened by a general health checkup system, the prevalence of abnormal thyroid function was nearly 10%. In a high percentage of these patients, abnormal thyroid function could not be detected by their history or physical examination. Just a physical examination without thyroid function tests, particularly serum TSH levels, was not adequate even when performed by a thyroid specialist.

Measuring thyroglobulin autoantibodies by sensitive assay is important for assessing the presence of thyroid autoimmunity in areas with high iodine intake

“…We also reported that the incidence of hypothyroidism in untreated patients with Hashimoto's disease who were only TgAb positive (66/414 cases; 15.9%) was higher than in patients who were only TPOAb positive (4/33 cases; 12.1%), although the difference was not significant [14]. Furthermore, Kasagi et al reported that the prevalence of TgAb was higher than TPOAb in subjects with subclinical hypothyroidism [15].…”

Comparison of thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies measured by five different kits in autoimmune thyroid diseases

“…Hamada et al emphasized the importance of TgAb measurement for assessing the presence of thyroid autoimmunity in Japan [21]. In this study and other screening studies of Japanese healthy subjects, TgAb prevalence was almost doubled when compared to TPOAb prevalence (Table 2) [22,23]. Therefore, we searched for recent reports on screening studies of TgAb and TPOAb.…”

MECHANISMS IN ENDOCRINOLOGY: The crosstalk between thyroid gland and adipose tissue: signal integration in health and disease

“…The imprecision deriving from the variability of commercially available assays for TPOAb should also be considered (128). Such limitations must be taken into account when considering the prevalence rate of TPOAb in the general and in the obese population (64,66,129,130,131,132,133,134,135,136,137).…”