Thyroid Flashcards
Thyroid Hormone
- Affects function of every organ system
- Critical for normal growth and development in childhood
- Maintains metabolic stability in adults
Active unbound (free) thyroid hormone
- Diffuses into cells
- Elicits biologic effects
- Regulates thyrotropin/thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) secretion (involves in negative feedback)
T4
ONLY source is secretion from thyroid gland
5’ monodeidonase enzymes
- Catalyzes T4 to T3 in extra-thyroid peripheral tissues
Type 1 5’-monodeidonase enzymes
- Converts T4 to T3 in **liver **
- Also present in kidney and thyroid
- Predominant extrathyroidal source of T3
Type 2 5’-monodeidonase enzymes
- Converts T4 and T3 in **pituitary **
- Also present in thyroid, CNS, and borwn adipose tissue
- Intracellular T3 production -** important in hypothyroidism/iodine deficiency **
Type 3 5’-monodeidonase enzymes
Present in placenta, developing brain, and skin
HPA
- Highly sensitive to small changes in circulating thyroid hormone concentrations
- Alterations in thyroid hormone secretion maintain peripheral free thyroid hormone levels within a narrow range
- Recall that this is influenced by negative feedback
Thyroid Hormone Transport Proteins
- Transport T4 and T3 in the bloodstream
- Assure minimal urinary loss of iodine (one of the trace elements)
- Provide mechanism for uniform tissue distribution of free hormone
- Transport hormones into CNS
What are the transport proteins?
- Thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG)
- Transthyretin (TTR)
- Albumin
What blocks the transfer of iodine transfer into thyroid?
- Bromine
- Fluorine
- Lithium – under certain circumstances
What inhibits thyroid hormone secretion?
- Iodine – in large doses
- Lithium
What impairs organification and coupling of thyroid hormones?
- Thioamides
- Sulfonamide
- Salicylamide
- Antipyrine
Iodine deficiency
Causes INCREASE in MIT:DIT ratio–> relative INCREASE in T3
What competitively inhibits transport (structurally related)?
- Thiocyanate
- Perchlorate
- Pertechnetate
What is extrathyrodial deiodination of T4 and T3 impacted by?
- Nutrition
- Nonthyroidal hormones
- Ambient temperature
- Drugs
- Illness
Thyrotoxicosis
Caused by tissue exposure to excessive levels of T4, T3, or both
Radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU)
- Measurement of radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU)
- Normal 24-hour range 10-30%
- Elevated RAIU indicates endogenous hyperthyroidism – thyroid gland actively overproducing T4 or T3
- Low RAIU in absence of iodine excess indicates that high levels of thyroid hormone are not a consequence of thyroid gland hyperfunction
What is the diagnostic criteria?
- Low serum TSH
- Elevated serum free and total T4 and T3
- RAIU
- Elevated uptake by thyroid gland when hormone is being overproduced
- Suppressed uptake in thyrotoxicosis due to thyroid inflammation (thyroiditis)
What are some other test for thyrotoxicosis?
- Thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAbs)
- Differentiates autoimmune thyrotoxicosis (Graves’ disease) and everything else
- Thyroglobulin
- Thyrotropin receptor antibodies
What are some symtpoms of thyrotoxicosis?
- Hyperactivity/irritability/dysphoria
- Heat intolerance/sweating
- Palpitations
- Fatigue/weakness
- Weight loss with increased appetite
- Diarrhea
- Polyuria
- Menstrual disturbances of libido
What are signs of thyrotoxicosis?
- Tachycardia – atrial fibrillation in elderly
- Tremor (fine tremor of protruded tongue/outstretched hands)
- Thyromegaly/goiter
- Warm, moist skin
- Muscle weakness/proximal myopathy
- Lid retraction/lag
- Gynecomastia
- Fine hair
- Onycholysis
- Cardiovascular: tachycardia at rest, widened pulse pressure, systolic ejection murmurHyperactive deep tendon reflexes
What are the signs of Graves’ disease?
- Ophthalmopathy/exophthalmos
- Pretibial myxedema