Antibodies
Thyroid autoantibodies appear mostly with the presence of lymphocytes in the targeted organ. There are three types of antibodies: Thyroid Peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb), Thyroglobulin Antibodies ( TgAb), and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone Receptor Antibodies (TRAb). These antibodies affect different targets in the thyroid gland. The three main targets are as follows: Thyroglobulin, a protein specified in housing the thyroid hormones T3, T4 and TSH; the Thyroid Microsomal Antigen also known as Thyroid Peroxidase, an enzyme in charge of regulating how much hormone the gland should produce; and the Thyrotropin receptors. “A certain percentage of patients who are healthy may be positive for one or more thyroid antibodies.” Doctors who attend to such patients will most likely do routine follow-ups on the patient’s health since, even though it is highly unlikely that they will present any thyroid problems, there is still a chance that they will develop some type of dysfunction with time.
Read more about this topic: Autoimmune Thyroiditis