Determination of thyroid microsomal antibodies in the blood of patients with thyropathies using the ELISA method

: The authors elaborated and tested an ELISA method for the assessment of antibodies against the microsomal fraction of the human thyroid gland (Thyroid microsomal antibodies). The method is more sensitive than passive haemagglutination. The reproducibility is satisfactory, the intraassay variation coefficient is 10.7%, the interassay variation coefficient 15.4%. In a group of 282 subjects with thyropathies a positive TMAb was found in 57.8%, in a control group of 63 subjects in three instances (4.7%). The method makes it possible to assess individual classes of specific immunoglobulins--IgG in the group of 15 positive sera accounted for 78% of all immunoglobulins. The importance of IgM and IgA is less clear. The method is suited in particular for screening of autoimmune affections of the thyroid gland.