What is high-sensitivity serum thyrotropin?

The thyroid gland is one of the organs that people are more familiar with. The thyroid organ is generally located in the neck and cannot be seen with the naked eye. It will only be clearly seen when the thyroid gland is diseased, such as when the thyroid gland is enlarged. The thyroid gland secretes a highly sensitive serum thyroid-stimulating hormone to maintain the body's hormone balance. So, what is highly sensitive serum thyroid-stimulating hormone?

The combined use of serum thyroid hormone and TSH can determine the cause of thyroid dysfunction and help develop an effective treatment plan.

1. Elevated thyroid hormone accompanied by decreased TSH is mostly primary hyperthyroidism caused by diseases of the thyroid gland itself, such as diffuse goiter, thyroid adenoma, etc. When thyroid hormones and TSH levels are elevated, it is usually secondary hyperthyroidism caused by hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction, such as pituitary adenoma.

2. Decreased thyroid hormone accompanied by increased TSH is mostly caused by primary thyroid dysfunction, such as excessive treatment of primary hyperthyroidism and chronic thyroiditis. Serum thyroid hormone and TSH are both decreased, which is mostly secondary hypothyroidism caused by impaired hypothalamic-pituitary function.

3. TSH is a hormone secreted by the pituitary gland that promotes the growth and function of the thyroid gland. The human body's TSH is a glycoprotein containing 211 amino acids, with carbohydrates accounting for about 15% of the entire molecule. The entire molecule consists of two peptide chains - the α chain and the β chain.

Take hyperthyroidism as an example. The human endocrine system is very complex. The hormones secreted by various organs influence each other and jointly regulate the body's homeostasis. As the center of endocrine regulation in the human body, the hypothalamus can secrete thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH), which acts on the pituitary gland to promote the secretion of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). TSH acts on the thyroid gland, promoting the secretion of thyroid hormones and the proliferation of the gland. At the same time, excessive thyroid hormone in the body will also have a feedback inhibitory effect on the secretion of TRH and TSH, which is the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis of the endocrine system.