The effect of propranolol on thyroid function in patients with liver cirrhosis

The effect of propranolol on thyroid hormones of 7 healthy subjects and 10 patients with histologically proven alcoholic liver cirrhosis was investigated. The fractions of plasma T3 and free T4 were determined by specific radioimmunoassay before and after two weeks of propranolol administration. Under basal conditions, both T3 and FT4 levels were found significantly lower in patients with cirrhosis than in healthy subjects (1.86 +/- 0.10 vs. 1.18 +/- 0.41 nmol/l, p less than 0.001; 9.31 +/- 0.41 vs. 8.17 +/- 0.91 pg/ml, p less than 0.05, respectively). In healthy subjects propranolol administration led to a significant reduction of T3 serum levels (from 1.88 +/- 0.10 to 1.51 +/- 0.12 nmol/L, p less than 0.001), while in patients with liver cirrhosis no significant changes in T3 and FT4 were found. In patients with liver cirrhosis propranolol administration did not affect thyroid hormone levels.