Detection of protein binding abnormalities in euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia.

This is a procedure for rapidly identifying the three common abnormalities in binding of thyroxin by protein. After incubation with [125I]thyroxin, serum proteins are separated by electrophoresis on agarose gel and binding of thyroxin to the various protein fractions is determined after autoradiography. Quantitatively abnormal binding to albumin or prealbumin and thyroxin autoantibodies is easily demonstrated by this technique. Normally, less than 6% is bound to albumin, and no binding by prealbumin is detected. In dysalbuminemic hyperthyroxinemia, about 30% of the serum thyroxin is bound to albumin; in prealbumin-associated hyperthyroxinemia, 7% is bound to prealbumin. With this procedure these protein-binding abnormalities can be simply identified, and it may be useful when results of a thyroxin assay are not consistent with results of a sensitive thyrotropin assay or the patient's clinical examination.