Clinical Chemistry, Vol 15, 367-375, Copyright © 1969 by the American Association for Clinical Chemistry

Assay of Thyroxine-Binding Globulin by Polyacrylamide Electrophoresis: Normal Values

¹ Laboratories of the Marshfield Clinic Foundation for Medical Research and Education and the Marshfield Clinic, 630 S. Central Ave, Marshfield, Wis 54449.

Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) assays by the polyacrylamide electrophoresis assay of Nikolai and Seal have been carried out on 315 normal subjects. The assay was carried out with 200 µg exogenous labeled thyroxine per 100 ml added to the samples. The means and standard deviations for the three thyroxine-binding proteins in males (n = 140) were: TBG 19.7 ± 3.0 µg/100 ml, thyroxine-binding albumin (TBA) 38.0 ± 10.3 µg/100 ml, thyroxine-binding prealbumin (TBPA) 141.2 ± 10.9 µg/ 100 ml. The values for females (n = 175) were: TBG 21.6 ± 3.2 µg/100 ml, TBA 40.0 ± 10 µg/100 ml, and TBPA 137 ± 10.5 µg/100 ml. The difference in the means of the TBG values of males and females was significant (p < 0.01). Partial correlation analysis indicated that a significant correlation existed between protein-bound iodine and the TBG values only. A highly significant correlation was also found between the resin T₃ uptake values and TBG. Persons (n = 43) receiving estrogens had a mean TBC of 36 µg/100 ml with a range of 26-45. This is an elevation of almost 5 SDs above normal. The normal values obtained by the polyacrylamide assay are compared with other electrophoretic assays of TBG.