title: Relative increase of serum reverse T3 in patients with hypothyroidism.
abstract: In 17 hypothyroid patients serum T3: rT3 ratio was 7.5 /+- 1.1 which was significantly lower than in control subjects (12.2 /+- 0.6; p less than 0.001). The data suggest that in hypothyroidism the organism might shift conversion of T4 from biologically active T3 to biologically inactive rT3 which may not be a defense mechanism of the body, as it was found in chronic systemic illness.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*; D014285:Triiodothyronine, Reverse / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D014285:Triiodothyronine, Reverse; D013974:Thyroxine