Can I Take The Test At Home
Test kits allow you to test for certain thyroid antibodies at home. These kits provide the supplies needed for obtaining a blood sample and returning it to the company for analysis.
Some kits include one or more thyroid antibody tests as part of a panel of thyroid tests, while others test only for TPOAb or TgAb. At-home tests for TRAb may not be commercially available at this time.
Thyroid antibody tests are difficult to interpret and may be unnecessary if other thyroid tests are normal. If an abnormal level of thyroid antibodies is detected on an at-home thyroid test, an endocrinologist will likely want the test to be repeated.
How Much Does The Test Cost
Thyroid antibody test costs vary based on factors such as where the test is done, whether or not you have health care coverage, how many antibodies are tested for, and whether other tests are performed along with the antibodies one. A thyroid peroxidase antibodies test kit costs $89 from Testing.com.
When ordered by a doctor, insurance typically covers the test, although you may have to pay a deductible or co-pay. Your doctors office, lab, and health plan can provide information about any out-of-pocket costs that may be your responsibility.
What Does The Test Measure
The thyroid produces thyroglobulin a protein critical to the production of T3 and T4 hormones which circulates in the blood in free and bound forms. Also, the pituitary gland releases another hormone into the blood, called thyroid-stimulating hormone , to stimulate more thyroid hormone production.
Thyroid peroxidase is an enzyme also stimulated by TSH. While levels of these hormones can be measured, abnormally high or low levels of T4 and FSH generally provide the first clue of a thyroid problem and are considered the best tests to measure thyroid status.
When an autoimmune problem is thought to cause a thyroid abnormality, thyroid antibody testing is performed. The testing detects and measures the levels of thyroid antibodies in the blood.
Normally, antibodies attack foreign substances in the body, like bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins. If you have autoimmune disorders, antibodies mistakenly target the bodys tissues.
These antibodies attacking your body are also known as autoantibodies or antithyroid antibodies. Thyroid antibody testing may look for several types of thyroid antibodies:
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When Should I Get A Thyroid Antibody Test
It is not always necessary to test for thyroid antibodies to establish a diagnosis of an autoimmune disorder affecting the thyroid. Yet doctors may find thyroid antibody testing helpful in the following situations:
- Subclinical hypothyroidism: If you have a high TSH and a normal FT4, testing for TPO antibodies may help predict whether the hypothyroidism will progress from being subclinical in which it may not cause significant or observable symptoms to more severe and permanent dysfunction.
- Goiter: This is the abnormal enlargement of the thyroid gland. Some experts recommend testing for TPOAb if you have a goiter, even if your thyroid hormone levels are normal.
- Hyperthyroidism, if the cause is not obvious: If you have an overactive thyroid, sometimes it is clear from your physical examination and thyroid hormone tests that you have Graves disease. In less obvious cases, TRAb testing or imaging tests, such as ultrasound or radionuclide thyroid scan, may help diagnose or rule out Graves disease.
- Monitoring after thyroid cancer treatment: If you are monitored with thyroglobulin testing after treatment, you may also have your TgAb levels tested, as they can interfere with some thyroglobulin tests.
Although thyroglobulin antibodies may be elevated in both Hashimotos thyroiditisand Graves disease, it is not typically tested during diagnosis.
Common symptoms for Hashimotos thyroiditis:
Common symptoms for Graves disease:
Thyroid Peroxidase And Thryoglobulin Antibodies
CPT Code: 86376, 86800
Methodology: Immunoassay
Clinical Significance: Measurement of thyroglobulin antibodies and thyroid peroxidase antibodies is useful in the diagnosis and management of a variety of thyroid disorders including autoimmune thyroiditis, Hashimoto’s Disease, Graves Disease and certain types of goiter.
Alternative Name: Not applicable
Supply: T01 – Red/Gray SST 8.5mL
Preferred Specimen: Serum
Preferred Volume: 1 FULL SST
Transport Container: Serum Separator Tube
Transport Temperature: Room Temperature
Specimen Stability: See individual tests
Rejection Criteria: See individual tests
For additional supply or collection device information, please contact DLO’s Customer Service at 891-2917, option 2.
The CPT codes provided are based on AMA guidelines and are for informational purposes only. CPT coding is the sole responsibility of the billing party. Please direct any questions regarding coding to the Payor being billed.
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