TSH Receptor Antibodies

Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor antibodies are known to play a key role in the diagnosis of autoimmune disorders of the thyroid gland. In autoimmune conditions of the thyroid such as Graves disease, the immune cells produce antibodies which circulate in the blood and attack the thyroid receptors. TSH receptor antibodies then stimulate the thyroid to make excess amounts of thyroid hormone.

This test is used as an aid in the differential diagnosis and monitoring of Grave’s disease. Measurement of TSH receptor antibody in the last trimester of pregnancy in a patient with history of thyroid disease helps in assessing the risk of thyroid disease in neonates. It also helps to estimate the relapse of Graves’ disease and monitor patients who underwent treatment for thyroid cancer.