Introduction:
Thyroxine (T4) is the main thyroid hormone secreted into the bloodstream by the thyroid gland. Together with triiodothyronine (T3) it plays a vital role in regulating the body's metabolic rate, influences the cardiovascular system, growth and bone metabolism, and is important for normal development of gonadal functions and nervous system[1]. T4 circulates in the bloodstream as an equilibrium mixture of free and serum bound hormone. Free T4 (fT4) is the unbound and biologically active form, which represents only 0.03% of the total T4. The remaining T4 is inactive and bound to serum proteins such as thyroxine binding globulin (TBG) (75%), pre-albumin (15%), and albumin (10%)[2-5]. The determination of free T4 has the advantage of being independent of changes in the concentrations and binding properties of these binding proteins; additional determination of a binding parameter (T - uptake, TBG) is therefore unnecessary. Thus free T4 is a useful tool in clinical routine diagnostics for the assessment of the thyroid status.
Advantage:
1.Independent packaging to solve the problem of validity after opening
2.Simple operation and fast response
Clinical significance:
1.To help evaluate thyroid gland function
2.to help diagnose thyroid disease
3.to monitor effectiveness of thyroid treatment
4.sometimes a free T4 is used to help diagnose congenital hypothyroidism in newborns
Intended use:
Outpatient department, emergency department, endocrinology department, obstetrics and gynecology department, physical examination center