What You Should Know About the Thyroid Antibodies Test
A thyroid antibody test is a blood test that measures the amount of thyroid antibodies present in the blood. While normally, the production of antibodies is the body’s way of fighting infection, bacteria, viruses, and other foreign substances, in rare cases, the immune system ends up producing antibodies that attack healthy parts of the body, a condition known as autoimmune disease. When these antibodies attack healthy thyroid cells, they can damage thyroid tissues, impacting the normal functioning of the thyroid gland . Different Types of Thyroid Antibodies Thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPOAb): These antibodies can indicate an underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism) caused due to a condition known as Hashimoto’s disease. Thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb): These antibodies can be a sign of Hashimoto’s disease. Thyrotropin receptor antibodies (TRAb): These antibodies bind to the TSH receptor on thyroid cells, stimulating the gland to produce e...