Hypothyroidism in patients with renal failure (RF) causes many metabolic and clinical problems, and both these diseases can mutually exacerbate their disturbances.
Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of hypothyroidism, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) on conversion of thyroid hormones (TH) in patients with ESRD treated with chronic hemodialysis (HD).
Materials and methods: The study was performed in 74 patients, including 41 women (K) and 33 men (M) aged 28-83 y.o. in 4 groups: G1 - 12 people with ESRD treated with HD and with newly diagnosed hypothyroidism without substitution (6 K and M 6) aged 66,83±12,90 y.o., G2 - 26 patients with ESRD treated with HD without hypothyroidism (10 F, 16 M) aged 58,85±15,52 y.o., G3 - 11 hypothyroid patients without RF (9 K, 2 M) aged 54,73±21,26 y.o., G4 - 25-persons from control group of healthy subjects (16 M, 9 M) aged 51,24±12,58 y.o. In all subjects the concentration of TSH and TH (T4, T3, fT4, TSH, FT3, rT3) were measured and values of conversion factors (T3/T4, FT3/ fT4, rT3/fT4 and rT3/fT3) and binding TH to protein factors (fT4/T4 and fT3/T3) were calculated.
Results: Lower concentration of T3 (p=0.012), fT3 (p<0.001) i fT4 (p=0.014) was found in patients without hypothyroidism than in healthy subjects. Renal failure with concomitant hypothyroidism intensify the disturbances of T4 to T3 conversion (p=0.034) and hypothyroidism with concomitant renal failure disrupts binding of T3 to proteins (p=0.001). FT3 to fT4 ratio in renal failure with concomitant hypothyroidism group was significantly lower than in each other group. rT3 concentrations were the highest in healthy subjects.
Conclusions: Concomitance of hypothyroidism and end-stage renal disease reduces the conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine, but does not increase the production of rT3. Hypothyroidism significantly increases the disorders of thyroid hormones in end-stage renal disease. There is decreased tendency to bind of thyroid hormone to protein in hypothyroidism in patients with end-stage renal disease.
Keywords: dialysis; end-stage renal disease; hypothyroidism; rT3; thyroid hormone conversion.