PBL Topic 4 Case 9 Flashcards
Identify three hormones secreted by the thyroid
- Thyroxine (T3)
- Triiodothyronine (T4)
- Calcitonin
Thyroid secretion is controlled by which hormone? Which gland secretes this homrone?
- Thyroid-stimulating hormone
- Secreted by anterior pituitary gland
What is contained within the thyroid follicles?
- Colloid
- Which consists of thyroglobulin
- Which contains the thyroid hormone within its molecule
Outline the process of iodide trapping
- Active pumping of iodine through basal membrane by Na/I transporter
- Transport through apical membrane by pendrin (I/Cl transporter)
Outline the process of oxidation of iodide ions
- Conversion of iodide to iodine
- Catalysed by thyroid peroxidase in apical membrane
- And its accompanying hydrogen peroxide
Outline the organification of iodine
- Iodine binds with tyrosine
- Catalysed by iodinase enzyme
Outline the iodisation of tyrosine
- Tyrosine is iodised to monoiodotyrosine
- And then to diiodotyrosine
- MIT + DIT = T3
- DIT + DIT = T4
Outline the process by which T3 and T4 are cleaved from thyroglobulin
- Apical surface sends out pseudopods
- Which close around portions of colloid
- Which form pinocytic vesicles that enter the apex of the thyroid cell
- Lysosomes fuse with vesicles
- Proteases digest thyroglobulin to release T3 and T4
What happens to the iodinated tyrosine following digestion of thyroglobulin?
- Iodine is cleaved by deiodinase enzyme
- Which recycles iodine available again for formation of additional thyroid hormone
What happens to the majority of T3 and T4 as it enters the blood?
- Combines with thyroxine-binding globulin
- Delivered to tissues where they bind with intracellular proteins
Outline the cellular action of thyroid hormone
- Retinoid X receptor forms a heterodimer with thyroid hormone receptors
- Which enhances binding of thyroid hormone at the thyroid response element in the DNA of the target cell nucleus
- Activation of these receptors causes transcription followed by RNA translation
What is the effect of thyroid hormone on mitochondria?
- Increases number of mitochondria
- Which increases the formation of ATP
What is the effect of thyroid hormone on active transport?
- Increases activity in Na+-K+-ATPase
- Which increases transport of sodium and potassium through membranes
- Which increases body’s metabolic rate
What is the effect of thyroid hormone on growth?
- Growth and development of brain
- Growth and development of bones
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on carbohydrate metabolism?
- Increased rate of absorption from GI tract
- Increased insulin secretion
- Rapid uptake of glucose by the cells
- Enhanced glycolysis
- Enhanced gluconeogenesis
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on fat metabolism?
- Lipids are mobilised rapidly
- Which decreases the fat stores of the body
- Which increases the free fatty acid concentration in the plasma
- And greatly accelerates the oxidation of free fatty acids by the cells
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on fat cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides?
- Decreased concentrations of cholesterol, phospholipids and triglycerides
How does thyroid hormone decrease plasma cholesterol concentration?
- Increased numbers of LDL receptors on liver cells
- With increased LDL removal from plasma
- Liver cells convert LDL to cholesterol
- Which are secreted in bile and lost in faeces
Why does thyroid hormone cause vasodilation and increased cardiac output?
- Increased cellular metabolism causes rapid utilisation of oxygen
- Increasing metabolic end product release from tissues
Why does thyroid hormone cause increased heart rate?
- Direct effect of TH on excitability of the heart
What is the effect of thyroid hormone on the respiratory system?
- Increase in rate and depth of respiration
- Due to increased rate of metabolism (increased utilisation of oxygen and formation of CO2
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on the GI system?
- Increased appetite and food intake
- Increased secretion of digestive juices
- Increased motility of GI tract
- Hyperthyroid: Diarrhoea
- Hypothyroid: Constipation
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on the CNS?
- Increases rapidity of cerebration
- Hyperthyroid: Nervous and psychoneurotic tendencies (anxiety, worry paranoia)
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on muscles?
- Initially muscles react with vigor
- Though excessive TH causes weakened muscles due to protein catabolism
What are the effects of thyroid hormone on sexual function
- Men: lack of TH causes loss of libido, excess libido causes impotence
- Women: lack of TH causes loss of libido, menorrhagia
Identify 6 effects of TSH on the thyroid gland
- Increased proteolysis of thyroglobulin
- Increased activity of iodide pump
- Increased iodination of tyrosine
- Increase number of thyroid cells
- Increased secretory activity
Outline the cellular action of TSH
- TSH binds with TSH receptors on basal membrane of thyroid cells
- Which activates adenylyl cyclase
- With increased formation of cAMP
- cAMP activates phosphatidyl inositol 3-kinase
- With an increase in secretion of thyroid hormones
Outline the control of TSH secretion
- TSH is controlled by TRH
- Which is secreted by median eminence of hypothalamus
- Which binds to TRH receptors on anterior pituitary cells
- Which activates the phospholipase C second messenger system
- Which leads to TSH release
Identify factors that reduce TSH secretion
- Increased thyroid hormone causes negative feedback of TSH secretion
- Somatostatin reduces basal TSH release
Which cells of the thyroid gland secrete calcitonin?
- Parafollicular cells
What is the primary stimulus for calcitonin secretion?
- An increase in plasma calcium ion concentration
How does calcitonin decrease plasma calcium concentration?
- Decrease activity and formation of osteoclasts
Identify thyroid function tests
- TSH
- Plus free T4 or free T3
What are the problems in the interpretation of thyroid function tests in serious acute or chronic illness?
- Reduced concentration and affinity of binding proteins
- Decreased peripheral conversion of T4 to T3
What are the problems in the interpretation of thyroid function tests in pregnancy and with oral contraceptives?
- Greatly increased TBG levels so high T4.
- TSH is suppressed in the first trimester
What are the problems in the interpretation of thyroid function tests in patients taking amiodarone?
- Amiodarone decreases T4 to T3 conversion
- Amiodarone may induce both hyper-and hypothyroidism
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- TSH undetectable
- T4 raised
- T3 raised
- Primary thyrotoxicosis
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- TSH undetectable
- T4 normal
- T3 raised
- Primary T3 toxicosis
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- TSH undetectable
- T4 raised
- T3 low, normal or raised
- Sick euthyroidism
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- TSH undetectable
- T4 low
- T3 low
- Secondary hypothyroidism
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- TSH elevated
- T4 low
- T3 low
- Primary hypothyroidism
What is the most likely diagnosis?
- TSH elevated
- T4 normal
- T3 normal
- Subclinical hypothyroidism
What is thyrotoxicosis?
- Increased metabolic rate
- Due to effect of excess T3/T4 on tissues
What is the commonest cause of thyrotoxicosis?
- Hyperthyroidism
Identify the three main pathological causes of hyperthyroidism
- Grave’s Disease
- Functioning adenoma
- Toxic nodular goitre
What is struma ovarii?
- Teratoma
- Ovary comprising thyroid tissue
- With ectopic secretion of thyroid hormones
Outline the epidemiology of hyperthyroidism
- Affects up to 5% of women
- More common in women 5:1
- Most common between 20-40
- Most caused by intrinsic thyroid disease (pituitary cause is rare)
Outline the pathology of Grave’s thyroiditis?
- IgG autoantibody called long-acting thyroid stimulator (LATS)
- Binds to thyroid epithelial cells
- And mimics the action of TSH
- Stimulating function and growth of thyroid follicular epithelium
Identify the three clinical features of Grave’s thyroiditis
- Exophthalmos
- Pretibial myxoedema
- Thyroid acropachy
What is exophthalmos?
- Anterior bulging of eyes
- Results from infiltration of orbital tissues by adipocytes and mucopolysaccharides
What is pretibial myxoedema
- Accumulation of mucopolysaccharides in dermis of skin
- Skin appears puffy
- Outer third of eyebrow is lost
What is thyroid acropachy?
- Clubbing
- Swollen fingers
- Periosteal knee bone formation
Outline the genetic component of Grave’s thyroiditis
- HLA-B8, DR3 and DR2
- E.coli and other gram negatives have TSH binding sites
- Which initiates infection mimicry in genetically susceptible patients
What is de Quervain’s thyroiditis? What are the features and treatment
- Transient hyperthyroidism from an acute inflammatory process
- With fever, malaise, neck pain, raised ESR
- Proceeded by hypothyroidism
- Treatment is with aspirin
What is Type 1 Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis?
- Associated with pre-existing Graves or multi nodular goitre
- Hyperthyroidism is triggered by high iodine content of amiodarone
What is Type 2 Amiodarone-Induced Thyrotoxicosis?
- Not due to previous thyroid disease
- Direct effect of drug on thyroid follicular cells
- Leading to destructive thyroiditis
What is the effect of amiodarone on iodine?
- Inhibits the deiodination of T4 to T3
What are the 6 most common symptoms of hyperthyroidism?
- Weight loss
- Increase appetite
- Heat intolerance
- Palpitations
- Tremor
- Irritability
What are the eye signs in hyperthyroidism?
- Lid lag
- Stare
What is the presentation of hyperthyroidism in the elderly?
- Atrial fibrillation, tachycardia, heart failure
- ‘Apathetic thyrotoxicosis’ where clinical picture is more like hypothyroidism