Clinical evaluation of a hemagglutination method for microsomal and thyroglobulin antibodies in autoimmune thyroid disease.

A simple and reproducible hemagglutination technique for detecting microsomal and thyroglobulin antibodies has been evaluated in normal subjects and in patients with thyroid disease. Microsomal antibodies were detected in 89 percent of all patients with autoimmune thyroid disease and in 97 percent of patients with biopsy proven Hashimoto's thyroiditis. In contrast, thyroglobulin antibodies were present in only 55 percent of patients with biopsy proven Hashimoto's thyroiditis and in 44 percent of all patients with suspected autoimmune thyroid disease. It is suggested, therefore, that measurement of microsomal antibodies by a simple hemagglutination techniques be carried out in all patients with suspected thyroid disorders.