title: Concentrations of free thyroxin and albumin in serum in severe nonthyroidal illness: assay artefacts and physiological influences.
abstract: Free thyroxin (FT4) estimates by two immunoassays were compared with the concentrations of albumin in serum of apparently euthyroid subjects who either were (n = 99) or were not (n = 327) suffering from severe nonthyroidal illness (sNTI). In neither group was FT4 significantly correlated with albumin (P greater than 0.05), according to a "labeled antibody" radioassay (Amerlex-MAB). On amalgamating both groups, correlation with albumin was positive and significant (P less than 0.001). In the group with sNTI, both FT4 and albumin concentrations were decreased (mean FT4 to 77% and mean albumin to 61% of the respective reference means). For an analog radioimmunoassay (Amerlex-M), FT4 in all groups was significantly (P less than 0.001) correlated with albumin. Correlation coefficients were greater than with Amerlex-MAB for both sNTI and euthyroid groups, as well as for the joint panel. Mean FT4 in sNTI was only 44% of the reference mean. Lower radio-tracer "analog" values in sNTI are exaggerated by additional technical artefacts resulting from tracer binding to albumin.
authors.affiliation: North Lakes Clinical Consultants, Keswick, Cumbria, U.K.
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Midgley
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Sheehan
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Christofides
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Fry
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Browning
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mardell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis*; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine