thyroid Flashcards
what does t4 and t3 stand for?
T4: Thyroxine or Tetra-iodothyronine
T3: Tri-iodothyronine
tell me about thyroid perioxidase (TPO)
Used for initial synthesis of TH
- Found within thyroid gland
- Faciliate iodination of tyrosine residues on thyroglobulin
- coupling of MIT and DIT to form TH
tell me about deiodinases
Used to regulate levels of T3 to maintain tissue-specific TH balance
- Found in various tissues (liver, kidneys, skeletal muscle, brain, other peripheral tissues)
- Conversion of TH and inactivation of TH for body’s specific needs
what is Hyperthyroidism (thyroid disorder)?
Too much thyroid hormone (T3, T4)
Symptoms: Hot, energetic, elevated heart rate, sweaty, diarrhoea, cant sleep well, tremors, moody, affect menstrual cycle
what is Hypothyroidism (thyroid disorder)?
Too little TH
Symptoms: Cold, low energy, think slow, heart rate slow, low bp, obesity, depressed, move slowly, fatigue
what is the meds for hyperthyroidism?
Carbimazole
what is the meds for hypothyroidism?
Levothyroxine (L-Thyroxine)
how does carbimazole help with hyperthyroidism?
Inhibits thyroid peroxidase which is crucial in the synthesis of TH
how does carbimazole work to treat hyperthyroidism?
- Inhibit TH synthesis by inhibiting thyroid peroxidase which normally iodinates tyrosyl residues in thyroglobulin to give precursor of T3 and T4 —> Reduce overall TH production —> Reduce symptoms of thyrotoxicosis (aka excess of TH)
- T3 formed by MIT and DIT
- T4 formed by DIT and DIT
what is carbimazole used for?
- Hyperthyroidism, to control disease before surgery
- Surgical removal last resort as irreversible, and may accidentally cut away parathyroid gland
how is the absorption like for carbimazole?
- Oral once daily, well absorbed
- Prodrug carbimazole converted into active metabolite aka methimazole in liver
how is the distribution like for carbimazole?
- Methimazole t1/2 = 4-6h
- Short half life but concentrate in thyroid gland (carbimazole also) so clinical effects can last a day
- Not highly bound to plasma proteins so more drug available for action
- Large (>90%) inhibition of thyroid organification of iodine within 12h after admin (rapid onset)
how is the metabolism and excretion like for carbimazole?
- Broken down in liver by CYP450 and FMO enzymes
- Well absorbed where >90% of orally admin carbimazole is excreted in urine as methimazole or further conjugated compounds, rest in faeces via enterohepatic circulation
- 7% of methimazole excreted unchanged in urine
what is the adr for carbimazole when treating for hyperthyroidism?
- Rashes
- Joint pains
- Nausea
- Jaundice
- Agranulocytosis (rare): Severe decrease in WBC
- Hypothyroidism due to over treatment
- So need to monitor thyroid size and serum TSH level, once size is reduced and normal TSH level is achieved, titrate (reduce) carbimazole dose
how long to see clinical response upon initiation of carbamizole for hyperthyroidism? why?
- Clinical response may take several weeks (3-6weeks) to see effect after initiation
- Carbimazole inhibits synthesis of NEW TH, not existing TH —> So need to wait for existing TH to get degraded and T4 has a long half life…
- Good counselling point
what does levothyroxine (L-thyroxine) do?
treats hypothyroidism. it is a Synthetic TH to restore body to normal T4 levels
what are the types of hypothyroidism?
- Primary Hypothyroidism
- Reduction in T3 and T4 synthesis in thyroid gland
- Secondary Hypothyroidism
- Reduction in TSH by pituitary gland
- Tertiary Hypothyroidism
- Reduction in thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) by hypothalamus
how does levothyroxine work when treating hypothyroidism?
Absorbed into bloodstream —> Transported to various tissues to be converted into T3 via removal of one iodine atom by deiodinases —> T3 bind to thyroxine/ thyroid hormone receptor (THR) in nucleus which heterodimerise with retinoid X receptor (RXR) to create a heterodimer important for gene regulation —> Complex binds to specific DNA sequences in cell —> mRNA transcription and translation for protein synthesis (for TH functional effects and maintenance of cell viability)
what is the absorption like for levothyroidism when treating for hypothyroidism?
- Oral, take on empty stomach with water 30min before meal as dietary fiber can cause erratic absorption of L-thyroxine
- Fast to increase absorption
- Good bioavailability 70-80%
- Onset 3-5 days, so if want faster do via IV (6-8h onset)
- Mainly absorbed in small intestine so drugs that affect gastric pH (like antacids, PPIs) may affect absorption of Levothyroxine in small intestine
what is the distribution like for levothyroidism when treating for hypothyroidism?
- t1/2: 7 days, so once a day dosing
- Highly plasma protein bound
what is the metabolism like for levothyroidism when treating for hypothyroidism?
- 80% T3 is from T4
- Liver is a major site for degradation of TH through phase 2 glucuronidation and sulphation
- Kidney to a smaller extent through deiodination of T4 to T3 (remove one iodine atom)
what is the excretion like for levothyroidism when treating for hypothyroidism?
- Kidney primary excrete TH
- Metabolites excreted in urine and faeces
what are the adr for levothyroxine when treating hypothyroidism?
- Reduced appetite
- Anxiety
- Diarrhoea
- Difficulty sleeping
- Hair loss
- Rare and serious: Heart issues (arrhythmias, high BP, pain), Seizures —> So avoid in patients with heart problem, epilepsy and hyperthyroidism (obv)
what is a life threatening case to take note of for hypothyroidism?
Myxoedema coma
- Severe form of hypothyroidism
- Reduced blood flow to GI —> Affects gut absorption of oral levothyroxine —> Insufficient TH still
- Treatment: IV Liothyronine (synthetic T3) or IV levothyroxine
how to monitor for serum tsh?
- During initiation to check if treatment is working
- 6-8weeks after initiation or when dose is change to establish baseline
- Persistent elevated TSH levels due to inadequate dosing (not properly titrated), poor compliance, malabsorption (myxoedema coma), drug (cause broken down in liver) or food interaction
what is the thyroid gland?
- Endocrine gland
- Located in the middle of the lower neck
- Shaped like a “butterfly”
- Releases thyroid hormones (TH) that regulates development, growth, metabolism
what is the thyroid hormones?
Released into circulation in a 4:1 ratio of T4:T3
- Mostly protein-bound to Thyroxine binding globulin (TBG)
- Unbounded are the ones free to exert biological effects
- Preggos or being on estrogen will increase TBG levels —> More TH bind to TBG —> Lesser FTH —> TSH released to stimulate thyroid gland to release more TH —> Increase FTH
- If thyroid gland not working, need to replace TH externally
what is t3?
- T3 is more potent
- 80% of T3 is produced from the peripheral conversion of T4 by deiodination via deiodinases
- Iodine consumption (aka only exogenous from diet like seaweed, seafood, diary) is essential to produce TH
does t3 or t4 have a longer half life?
T4!
Longer t1/2 of 6-7d: Can be converted into active T3 when needed
- Free T4 (FT4) routinely measured with TSH to assess thyroid status as it reflects active and unbound TH levels
meanwhile, t3 has a Shorter t1/2 of 2d: More responsive to changes in TH needs
- Not routinely ordered for evaluation cos half life very short so may not be a good rep of the TH stores in body
what is the normal homeostasis of thyroid hormones?
- Low TH detected by and hence stimulates Hypothalamus to release thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH)
- TRH stimulates pituitary to release thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH aka Thyrotropin)
- TSH stimulates thyroid gland to secrete TH
- Elevated levels of circulating TH in blood —> Hypothalamus senses and stops releasing TRH
what does it mean when there is Elevated levels of TSH in Primary hypothyroidism?
- Primary: Gland not functioning well
- VS Secondary: Gland is functioning well
- Hypothalamus will detect persistently low levels of TH so will secrete TRH —> Pituitary stimulated to secrete TSH —> But wont be able to stimulate thyroid gland to secrete TH so TH levels will keep being low
what does it mean when there is low levels of TSH in Primary hyperthyroidism?
Hypothalamus will detect persistently elevated levels of TH so will not secrete TRH —> Pituitary will not secrete TSH —> Thyroid gland is functioning independently of TSH levels
what are the tests for autoimmune thyroid disease? note: fella says fyi but to know the tests so ?
Hashimoto’s have ATgA & TPO
Graves’ have ATgA & TPO
- ATgA (Thyroglobulin antibodies)
- Thyroglobulin is a protein produced by thyroid gland
- ATgA target thyroglobulin
- TPO (Thyroperoxidase antibodies)
- Thyroperoxidase is an enzyme involved in production of TH
- TPO target thyroperoxidase
- Strongly associated with hypothyroidism
- TRAb (Thyrotropin/ TSH receptor IgG antibodies)
- Specific to TSH receptor on thyroid cells
- Antibodies keep attacking and triggering receptor —> Triggers thyroid gland to keep producing TH
- Elevated levels are indicative of Graves’ disease
- Expensive
what are the screening indications for thyroid disorders?
- Presence of autoimmune disease (eg. T1DM, cystic fibrosis)
- First-degree relative with autoimmune thyroid disease
- Psychiatric disorders
- Possible symptom of thyroid disease
- Taking Amiodarone or Lithium
- Affects thyroid hormones
- Hx of head/ neck radiation for malignancies
- Symptoms of hypothyroidism/ hyperthyroidism
-
Routine screening required for pediatric patients and pregnant women
- To prevent developmental issues
What is hypothyroidism?
Decreased activity of thyroid gland
note: TH obviously low —> so TSH is high due to feedback loop
what causes primary hypothyroidism?
- Iodine deficiency*
- Hashimoto disease (Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis)
- Most common hypothyroid disorder in areas with iodine sufficiency
- Immune system attacks thyroid gland to cause damage
- Indicated by presence of ATgA and TPO antibodies
- Affects women more
- Iatrogenic
- Thyroid resection or radioiodine ablative therapy for hyperthyroidism
what causes secondary hypothyroidism?
- Central hypothyroidism
- Hypothalamus unable to secrete TRH
- Pituitary unable to secrete TSH
- Drug induced (e.g. Amiodarone, Lithium)
what are the signs and symptoms of hypothyroidism?
just rmb: Everything is slowing down
- Cold intolerance
- Dry skin
- Fatigue, lethargy, weakness
- Weight gain
- Bradycardia
- Slow reflexes
- Coarse skin and hair
- Periorbital swelling
- Menstrual disturbances (more frequent, more blood)
- Slowing down clearance of estrogen
- Goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) to try to produce more TSH