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Anti-Tg
Anti-Tg or antithyroglobulin antibody is an antibody to thyroglobulin.
Thyroglobulin is a protein produced by the thyroid gland. It is a precursor of
thyroid hormones – T3 and T4.
Normally, anti-Tg is not present in the blood. Nevertheless, about 10% of
healthy people have detectable levels of anti-Tg.
Anti-Tg can lead to the destruction of the thyroid gland.
Why the Anti-Tg test is performed?
The test helps diagnose various thyroid diseases and is also used to monitor the
effectiveness of treatment in patients with differentiated thyroid cancer.
When anti-Tg is present in blood, it can bind to thyroglobulin. This interferes
with the accuracy of the thyroglobulin tests and makes it unreliable. For this
reason, when thyroglobulin test is performed, it is important to measure antiTg levels as well.
How the test is performed and how to prepare for the test?
A blood sample is drawn from a vein. Normally, the patient is told to fast
starting several hours before the test.
What do the abnormal results mean?
Normally, the test results are negative - anti-Tg is not found in the blood.
Positive test results are associated with the following conditions:
 Differentiated thyroid cancer
 Hashimoto thyroiditis
 Chronic urticaria
 Myxedema
 Graves disease
 Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
 Type 1 diabetes
Pregnant women may also have positive test results.
Alternative Names
Thyroglobulin antibody, Antithyroglobulin antibody.
Useful Information
Some medications may affect the test results.