[Immunoanalytical profile of free tri-iodothyronine]

Abstract

Tri-iodothyronine (T3) is the active form of thyroid hormone at the nuclear cell level. About 80% of tri-iodothyronine is produced by peripheral deiodination of thyroxine. The determination of the free form of this hormone is useful for the diagnosis and the follow-up of hyperthyroidism. In routine clinical laboratories, immunoassays remain the most used technics. After recalling the main points related to the physiological data, the authors point out the possible errors during the analytical steps of the assay.

Keywords: hyperthyroidism; immunoassay; thyroid hormones; tri-iodothyronine.