[Thyroid hormones in patients with acute exacerbations of pneumoconiosis]

Thyroid hormone levels in serum were measured in 34 patients with acute exacerbations of pneumoconiosis. Levels of free T3 were below the normal range in 26 patients, and 12 of those patients (46.2%) died. Levels of free T3 were within the normal range in 8 patients, and only of those patients died. Having a T3 level within the normal range was associated with a good outcome. Levels of free T3 measured during acute exacerbations were significantly lower than those measured when the disease was clinically stable. Patients who died tended to have lower levels of free T3 than did those who survived. These results suggest that levels of free T3 in serum samples taken during an acute exacerbation can helpful in predicting the outcome of pneumoconiosis.