triiodothyronine--reverse and Hepatic-Encephalopathy

To evaluate thyroid function in 19 patients with fulminant hepatitis (FH), we have measured total and free 3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4), 3,3',5'-triiodothyronine (reverse T3, rT3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxin-binding globulin (TBG) in patients with FH, compared with those of 80 patients with other various liver diseases and of 10 healthy controls. Patients with FH showed the lowest values of serum T3 and the highest levels of rT3 among all patients with liver diseases studied. Furthermore, patients with FH showed a significant increase of rT3 in comparison with subacute hepatitis (SAH), "acute-on-chronic" (AOC) type of hepatic failure, ordinary and severe forms of acute hepatitis (AHo and AHs) and decompensated liver cirrhosis (LC-D). In addition, serum T3 and rT3 and the rT3/T3 ratio significantly correlated with prothrombin time (PT) and plasma methionine level. We also found that serum T3 and rT3 concentrations and the rT3/T3 ratio showed early and rapid normalization in cases of FH that survived, but they did not improve in patients with fatal outcome. These results suggest that serum T3, particularly rT3 concentrations and the rT3/T3 ratio may be useful indicators for assessing the severity and prognosis of patients with FH and can be considered to the sensitive indices for functioning hepatic microsomal reserve as well.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Female; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Hepatitis; Humans; Male; Methionine; Middle Aged; Prognosis; Prothrombin Time; Thyroid Hormones; Thyrotropin; Thyroxine; Thyroxine-Binding Proteins; Triiodothyronine; Triiodothyronine, Reverse

Thyroid hormones are displaced from their binding proteins in serum during nonthyroidal somatic illness, and FFA have been claimed to contribute. It seems mandatory to evaluate this effect using techniques for the measurements of serum free thyroid hormones in which serum remains undiluted. We measured the effect of 7 common human FFA on the free fraction of T4, T3 and rT3 in serum from healthy subjects using an ultrafiltration technique by which serum is diluted only minimally. In addition we measured the effect of oleic acid on the free fractions of the iodothyronines in pooled serum from healthy subjects and in pooled serum from patients with nonthyroidal illness. All FFA tested were able to displace both T4, T3 and rT3, but to a varying degree, arachidonic and linoleic acid being the most potent ones. A 20% increase in the free fractions of T4, T3 and rT3, respectively, was obtained by adding between 1.7-3.3 mmol/l, 1.3-4.6 mmol/l and 1.0-2.4 mmol/l of the different FFA. A serum pool obtained from patients with nonthyroidal somatic illness was more sensitive to oleic acid than a serum pool obtained from healthy subjects, since 2-3 times less oleic acid was necessary to induce a 20% increase in the free fractions of thyroid hormones. It is concluded that FFA are able to displace both T4, T3 and rT3 from their serum binding proteins in healthy subjects as well as in patients with nonthyroidal illness. However, serum from patients with nonthyroidal illness was more sensitive to the displacing activity of oleic acid than serum from healthy subjects.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Topics: Cerebrovascular Disorders; Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Humans; Kidney Failure, Chronic; Neoplasms; Respiratory Insufficiency; Thyroxine; Triiodothyronine; Triiodothyronine, Reverse; Ultrafiltration

Basal T4, T3, TSH, prolactin and growth hormone levels were determined in several groups: patients with postnecrotic cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 14); patients with postnecrotic cirrhosis but without hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 26); cholangiolar carcinoma (n = 9); and normal controls age-matched to within 5 yr of the liver disease subjects studied. In addition, TRH stimulation (400 micrograms TRH) was performed; TSH, prolactin and growth hormone responses over a 180-min time interval were evaluated for each subject. The responses observed varied between liver disease groups. The presence or absence of hepatocellular carcinoma was found to determine, at least in part, the type of response observed. Similarly, the presence or absence of hepatic encephalopathy determined, and/or reflected, at least in part, the type of response observed. Finally, for purposes of continuity, basal and TRH-stimulated levels of TSH, prolactin, growth hormone, T4 and T3 are compared in 3 settings of cirrhosis: alcoholic, nonalcoholic postnecrotic cirrhosis, and postnecrotic cirrhosis with hepatocellular carcinoma.

Topics: Carcinoma, Hepatocellular; Growth Hormone; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Humans; Liver Diseases; Liver Neoplasms; Pituitary Hormones; Prolactin; Thyroid Hormones; Thyrotropin; Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; Thyroxine; Triiodothyronine; Triiodothyronine, Reverse

Thyroid function tests were obtained from 335 consecutive patients admitted to an intensive care unit. Twenty patients suffering from severe non-endocrine diseases (septicaemia, fulminant hepatic and renal failure, acute pancreatitis, polytrauma, cerebral haemorrhage) were found to have serum thyroxine levels in the hypothyroid range (less than 4 micrograms/dl). Serum concentrations of total thyroxine (2.3 +/- 0.2 micrograms/dl), triiodothyronine (0.23 +/- 0.03 ng/ml), and thyroxine binding globulin (15.1 +/- 1.3 micrograms/ml) were reduced, but were above normal for reverse triiodothyronine (0.43 +/- 0.06 ng/ml). Response of TSH secretion to iv TRH was found to be either normal, lowered or absent. Primary hypothyroidism was excluded, as no enhanced TSH response was observed in any case. Although decreased thyroxine levels may be due to increased thyroid hormone degradation it appears that associated impaired TSH responsiveness to TRH may result from illness-related inhibition of pituitary TSH release. Although the finding of decreased thyroid hormone levels is not rare in care patients, it represents an index of poor prognosis. Differentiation between this "low-T4 syndrome" and true hypothyroidism depends essentially on clinical symptoms and course of disease.

Topics: Acute Disease; Acute Kidney Injury; Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Critical Care; Female; Hepatic Encephalopathy; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Male; Middle Aged; Pancreatitis; Pituitary Gland; Sepsis; Thyroid Function Tests; Thyroid Gland; Thyrotropin; Thyroxine; Thyroxine-Binding Proteins; Triiodothyronine; Triiodothyronine, Reverse; Wounds and Injuries