Of secondary benefit is its ability to monitor the efficacy of anti-thyroid drug therapy to predict the likelihood of disease remission. Conversely, a high positive antibody titer upon initial diagnosis indicates a low likelihood of disease remission following anti-thyroid therapy. In these cases, irradiation of the thyroid gland should be considered. In patients with lower antibody titers given anti-thyroid medication, the TSH receptor antibody assay can be of assistance in assessing the responses to this therapy. A gradual reduction in antibody titer may indicate success of the therapy and likely disease remission.
Positive results are consistent wtih autoimmune thyroid disease.
B. An improved radioreceptor assay for TSH receptor antibodies.