[Thyroid function tests and thyroid autoantibody tests, a review].

Recent progress and present situation of the thyroid function tests and the thyroid autoantibody tests were reviewed with some author's opinion. Recent clinical laboratory examinations using immunoassay are mainly non-isotopic full-automatic assay with various kinds of methodological principal. These bring us difficulties of the standardization of the tests. On the other hand, recent immunoassay enables us extremely quick turn-around-time in the clinical practice. Pre-consultation examination is widely carried out in our county. Clinical guidelines for many thyroid diseases are discussed and distributed recently. We have to pay very careful attention to the clinical examination results from non-standardized immunoassay. We need enough comprehension of the principal differences among tests used in the clinical practice.