title: Thyrotropin response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone in elderly patients with and without acute illness.
abstract: The response of thyrotropin (TSH) to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) was measured in 70 clinically euthyroid elderly patients who were acutely ill and in 70 age- and sex-matched euthyroid controls who were free of acute disease. The incremental TSH response (delta TSH) was often blunted (less than 2 mU/l) in both groups, though more often in those with acute illness (30%) than in those without (19%). However, in patients from both groups who had a blunted delta TSH, there was often a substantial proportional rise in TSH. A substantial proportional TSH rise may be useful in differentiating between genuine thyroid disease and euthyroid sick syndrome in elderly patients with a blunted delta TSH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine, University of Wales College of Medicine, Cardiff.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Finucane
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rudra
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Newcombe
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Pathy
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woodhead
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007275:Injections, Intravenous; D008297:Male; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000097:blood*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013972:Thyrotropin