Skip to Main Content Go to Sitemap
SickKids

Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH), serum or plasma

Alternate test name

TSH

Lab area
Clinical Biochemistry - General
Method and equipment
Abbott Architect Ci-4100
Expected turn-around time
STAT: 3 Hours Urgent: 6 Hours Routine: 24 Hours
Specimen type

Serum and plasma heparin

Specimen requirements

300 uL

Storage and transportation

Frozen

Shipping information
The Hospital for Sick Children
Rapid Response Laboratory
555 University Avenue, Room 3642
Toronto, ON
Canada
M5G 1X8
Phone: 416-813-7200
Toll Free: 1-855-381-3212
Hours: 7 days/week, 24 hours/day
Background and clinical significance

Human Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) or thyrotropin is a glycoprotein with a molecular weight of approximately 28,000 daltons, synthesized by the basophilic cells (thyrotropes) of the anterior pituitary. TSH stimulates the production and secretion of the metabolically active thyroid hormones, thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3), by interacting with a specific receptor on the thyroid cell surface. T3 and T4 are responsible for regulating diverse biochemical processes throughout the body which are essential for normal development and metabolic and neural activity. Failure at any level of regulation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis will result in either underproduction (hypothyroidism) or overproduction (hyperthyroidism) of T4 and/or T3. Primary hyperthyroidism (e.g., Grave’s Disease, nodular goiter) is associated with high levels of thyroid hormones and depressed or undetectable levels of TSH.

Back to Top