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Published on: November 27, 2019
Thyroid hormones alterations during acute liver failure: possible underlying mechanisms and consequences
Georgia Kostopanagiotou1, Konstantinos Kalimeris, Iordanis Mourouzis
12nd Department of Anesthesiology, Attikon Hospital, University of Athens School of Medicine, Rimini 1 Str., Chaidari, Athens, Greece.
Thyroid hormone levels (T4 and T3) significantly decrease in acute liver failure (ALF), correlating with disease severity and inflammation. This impacts cardiac thyroid receptors, suggesting a link between liver health and heart function.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Hepatology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Thyroid hormones influence disease severity and prognosis.
- Thyroid hormone alterations in acute liver failure (ALF) are not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate changes in thyroid hormones and cardiac thyroid receptors during ALF.
- To explore correlations between thyroid hormones, liver function, inflammation, and oxidative stress in ALF.
Main Methods:
- Surgical liver devascularization in female pigs to induce ALF.
- Measurement of serum liver function markers, thyroid hormones (T4, T3, free-T3, TSH), endogenous opioids, malondialdehyde (MDA), and interleukins (IL-1, IL-6).
- Analysis of heart biopsies for thyroid hormone receptor-alpha1 and myosin isoform expression.
Main Results:
- Marked decrease in serum thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) levels during ALF.
- T4 and T3 levels correlated with liver failure severity, MDA, and IL-6.
- Downregulation of cardiac thyroid hormone receptor-alpha1 expression by 1.6-fold.
- No significant changes in free-T3, TSH, or myocardial myosin isoforms.
Conclusions:
- Downregulation of T4 and T3 in ALF correlates with disease severity.
- This hormonal shift is linked to inflammation and oxidative stress.
- ALF induces changes in myocardial thyroid receptors, impacting cardiac function.
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