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High serum gastrin levels in thyrotoxic patients
Clinical Endocrinology
|February 1, 1981
Summary
High gastrin levels are common in thyrotoxicosis patients. Some patients remain hypergastrinaemic even after treatment, potentially indicating atrophic gastritis, suggesting further monitoring of gastrin levels post-thyroid treatment.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology
- Internal Medicine
Background:
- Thyrotoxicosis, a condition of excess thyroid hormones, is associated with various gastrointestinal disturbances.
- Elevated gastrin levels, a hormone regulating gastric acid secretion, have been anecdotally reported in thyrotoxic patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence of high gastrin levels in patients with thyrotoxicosis.
- To assess the persistence of hypergastrinemia after achieving euthyroid state.
- To explore potential links between persistent hypergastrinemia, gastric function, and autoimmune conditions.
Main Methods:
- Prospective study of 56 consecutive thyrotoxic patients.
- Measurement of serum gastrin levels at diagnosis and after achieving euthyroidism.
- Assessment of gastric acid secretion (achlorhydria) in patients with persistent hypergastrinemia.
Main Results:
- Twenty-one out of 56 patients (38%) presented with high gastrin levels.
- Twelve patients (21%) remained hypergastrinaemic after returning to euthyroidism.
- Six of these 12 patients (11% of total) had achlorhydria, suggesting atrophic gastritis.
Conclusions:
- Hypergastrinemia is a significant finding in a proportion of thyrotoxicosis patients.
- Persistent hypergastrinemia post-treatment warrants further investigation for underlying gastric pathology like atrophic gastritis.
- The complex relationship between thyroid function, gastrin, and gastric health may involve direct hormonal effects, adrenergic influences, and autoimmune links.