Endocrinologia Japonica
Online ISSN : 2185-6370
Print ISSN : 0013-7219
ISSN-L : 0013-7219
Thyroid Functions in Patients with Various Chronic Liver Diseases
TATSUYA SHIMADAKIICHIROH HIGASHITERUHISA UMEDATATSUO SATO
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1988 Volume 35 Issue 3 Pages 357-369

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Abstract

In order to clarify an alteration in thyroid functions in patients with chronic liver diseases, serum total and free thyroxine (T4, FT4), total and free triiodothyronine (T3, FT3), total reverse T3 (rT3), thyrotropin (TSH), thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG) concentrations, and T3uptake (T3U) were measured by radioimmunoassays in 53 patients with chronic hepatitis (CH), 24 patients with compensated liver cirrhosis (LC), 17 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma associated with LC (HCC), and 40normal subjects. Serum T4, T3, and rT3in CH, and serum rT3in HCC were significantly increased, while serum T4in LC and serum T3in HCC were significantly decreased. Serum TBG was increased and T3U was decreased in these patients. Serum TBG in CH and LC correlated positively with transaminase, and inversely with prothrombin time. FT4 and T4/TBG ratios in CH and LC and FT3and T3/TBG ratios in LC and HCC were significantly decreased. Although T4/TBG ratios in HCC and T3/TBGratios in CH were significantly decreased, FT4in HCC and FT3 in CH were not decreased. The ratio of rT3/T3in CH and LC correlated with various liver function tests. FT3 in LC and HCC correlated inversely with BSP (45') and positively with KICG.No differences in serum TSH values were found between chronic liver diseases and normal subjects. From these results, it was concluded that the thyroid functions in patients with chronic liver diseases were affected by thedecrease in serum thyroxine, elevated serum TBG, the degree of which is in proportion to that of the liver cell damage, and impaired peripheral conversionof T4to T3, the degree of which is in proportion to that of the hepatic dysfunction.

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© The Japan Endocrine Society
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