Lecture 17: Thyroid Flashcards
What is the function of the thyorid?
- Normal growth and development (In the first few weeks, the fetus is dependent on the maternal thyroid).
- Maintains metabolic activity and oxygen requirements esp brain
- Regulate lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and thus body weight
- Control of thryoid hormone is by the hypothalamic/pit axis
- Disorders in thyroid function are common.
Describe the embryology of the thyroid
Come from the back of the tongue.
At week 12-20 it is functional but independent in week 20-26 weeks
What is the word for a disorder where the thyroid failed to migrate
Lingual thyroid
Lingual thyroid is an abnormal mass of ectopic thyroid tissue seen in base of tongue caused due to embryological aberrancy in development of thyroid gland.
What are some abnormalities in thyroid embyrology?
Failure to migrate (lingual thyorid)
Remnants (thyroglossal cysts- move up on tongue protrusion)
Describe the clinical antomy of the thyroid
- Deep to sterno-hyoid muscle
- Posterior is recurrent laryngeal nerve and tracheal cartilage ring 2 and 3 (have to be careful in surgeries)
- Left is oesophagus
Describe the blood and nerve supply of the thyroid
Blood supply: S_uperior thyroid artery (_external carotid) and inf thyroid artery (subclavian)
Nervous supply: ANS innervation
Where is the thyroid hormone stored? (at a protein level)
In Colloid, attached to Thyroglobulin, which is produced by thyroid follicular cells
If someone has thyroiditis (over active thyroid), what would you observe?
Pain etc. But can measure the thyroglobulin- should be elevated
What does elevated thyroglobulin suggest?
- Thyroiditis
- Differentiated throid cancer and Goitre
- Factitious thyrotoxicosis (intermittent outbreaks- if the thyroid of the cow is processed int the hamburger)
What do Parafocclicular cells secrete?
Cells produce calcitonin (not sure what this does)
Indicative of Mellullary thyroid cancer
What is the Colloid?
The follicles are lined with follicular cells and are filled with a fluid known as colloid that c_ontains the prohormone thyroglobulin._
The follicular cells contain the enzymes needed to synthesize thyroglobulin, as well as the enzymes needed to release thyroid hormone from thyroglobulin.
What is increased calcitonin indicative of?
Medullary thyroid cancer
What do Parafocclicular cells secrete?
Cells produce calcitonin (not sure what this does)
What is increased calcitonin indicative of?
Medullary thyroid cancer
How much iodine dietary iodine do we need?
- Need min 150microgram iodide/daily
- Iodide content of NZ soil is low- due to dairy industry
- Many dietary sources of iodide e.g. salt, fish, bread
- Active transport of two Na+ ions results in the entry of one I- molecule against its concentration gradient
- Thyroid gland contains ~8000 mg iodide
What does iodine deficiency lead to?
Compensatory enlargement of thyroid (endemic goitre)
If in pregnancy, low maternal iodine-> fetal throid levels are low, and it can cause irreversible damage to the developing CNS: Cretinism
Describe Iodide in thyroid hormone synthesis
Iodide trapping
- Iodide is trapped by a sodium-iodide symporter (NIS)
- Active transport of two Na+ ions results in the entry of one I- molecule against its concentration gradient
- Thyroid gland contains ~8000 mg iodide
Where are large concentrations of the sodium-iodine symporters found?
- Breast (high-especially in pregnant women)
- Gastric mucosa
- Ciliary body eye
- Salivary glands
- Differentiated thyroid cancer cells
Describe the t4 and t3 production and release
a) Dietary iodine goes into cell (follicle?) via symporter
b) Oxidised by thyroid perioxidase and allows the iodine to go into the colloid
- If someone has a problem with their thyroid (under or overactive), we can measure thyroid peroxidase antibodies
c) Thyroid cells combine iodine and the amino acid tyrosine to make T3 and T4 and are attached onto the thyroglobulin in the colloid
d) When you need the thyroid hormone, it is endocytosed into the cell.
e) It is released from the thyroglobulin and T3/T4 are released into the blood stream- protease peitidase
f) Recycle iodine (deiodinase)
-If someone has a problem with their thyroid (under or overactive), we can measure ________ antibodies
-If someone has a problem with their thyroid (under or overactive), we can measure thyorid peroxidase antibodies (involved in getting iodine into the thyroid colloid)
What are some clinical points around iodine supplements?
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Iodine supplements can make the thyroid overactive.
* e.g. amiodarone- Can result in Thyroiditis and thyrotoxicosis
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Iodine supplements can make the thyroid overactive.
Describe the Pendred syndrome
Pendrin is a chloride transporter. High levels of pendrin expression have been identified in the inner ear and thyroid. In the thyroid, pendrin mediates a component of the efflux of iodide across the apical membrane of the thyrocyte, which is critical for the formation of thyroidhormone.
In pendred syndrome (deafness and hypothyroid)