Part of “CHAPTER 15 – THYROID-STIMULATING HORMONE AND ITS DISORDERS“

Recombinant human TSH has been produced by cotransfecting Chinese hamster ovary cells with cDNA coding for α and β-TSH.102 Glycosylation of recombinant human TSH is not identical to that of native human TSH. It is bioactive, however, and has undergone initial clinical trials in patients with thyroid cancer.103 Results of whole body radioiodine scans in patients who had undergone thyroidectomy were evaluated after patients were treated with recombinant human TSH to stimulate radio-iodine uptake, and were compared to scans obtained in the same patients after withdrawal of T₃ suppression and stimulation by endogenous TSH. In most patients, visualization of residual thyroid activity and metastatic uptake was comparable after both stimulation procedures.104