[Thyroid hormones and thyrotropin in liver and kidney insufficiency]

In 22 patients with hepatic or renal insufficiency the serum concentrations of trijodothyronin, thyroxine and thyrotropin and also the T4-binding capacity of TBG were determined. The mean serum T3 concentration was found to be significantly lower in patients with hepatic coma when compared with euthyroid subjects. In the cases of renal insufficiency the serum T3 concentrations were in the normal range. Due to hormone loss through dialysis however, the mean value of the T3 concentrations was slightly lower than the average concentration of normal subjects. The obtained results agree with those of our earlier studies which showed that there are significant differences between liver artery and vein T3 concentrations in serum, whereas no such differences could be ascertained between serum concentrations in renal artery and vein. On the basis of these findings it is assumed that conversion of T4 into T3 occurs predominantly in the liver.