Applicative value of thyroglobulin and thyroglobulin antibody in monitoring and evaluating the therapeutic effect of differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients after operation

Objective: To discuss the clinical value of thyroglobulin (Tg) in the diagnosis of differentiated thyroid carcinoma and curative effect after surgical operation. Methods: Detecting the serum Tg and TGA levels in 198 differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) patients treated with surgical operation by RIA at after operation and six months later respectively, comparing with the group of normal controls and the metastasis group. Results: There were no significant difference between the negative group of 160 DTC patients with Tg < 20 ng/ml and control group (P > 0.05). In the negative group, there were 56 patients with Tg < 10 ng/ml, accounting for 35%. The Tg level in 38 patients of Tg > 20 ng/ml in the positive group was significant higher than negative group and normal control group one week after operation (P < 0.01). The Tg declined as the condition of postoperative patients improved after six months, which was positive relationship with the result of one week before operation (t = 4.951, P < 0.01). The Tg level in the distance metastasis group was markedly higher than that in the neck lymph metastasis group (P < 0.01). In the Tg negative group, there were 25 patients with increasing TGA, accounting for 20%. But in the Tg positive group the percentage with increasing TGA accounted for 42%, in the widespread metastasis group the percentage with increasing TGA accounted for 56%. Conclusion: Tg as a tumor marker take the part in monitoring and evaluating surgical operation of differentiated thyroid carcinoma, might be utilized as an useful indicator of therapeutic effect as well as prognosis. (authors)