[The lactate-pyruvate quotient in the framework of modern thyroid diagnosis]

In literature a big number of central and peripheral parameters for the diagnosis and control of therapeutical measures in diseases of human thyroid gland is described. That means, that none of the methods used has a sufficient weight. The enzymatic estimation of pyruvate and lactate reflect the peripheral effect of the hormones of thyroid gland. The pyruvate and lactate levels differ in the several groups of patients with euthyreosis, hypothyreosis, hyperthyreosis and euthyreotic goitre. Between these all groups the lactate/pyruvate ratio showed highly significant differences. The comparison of the lactate/pyruvate ratio and the T3-values showed highly significant correlation between both parameters. This good conformity is underlined by the behaviour of the parameters in courses of therapy, with additional support by farther functional tests--ETR-, T3- and T4-test. Our results confirmed the suggestion, also in agreement with literature, that the lactate/pyruvate ratio represent a possible enrichment in the laboratory programme for diagnosis and control of therapy in patients with thyroid diseases.