title: A simplified scheme for the investigation of thyroid function in chronic liver disease.
abstract: The investigation of thyroid disease in the presence of chronic liver disease (CLD) is difficult. Conventional tests are influenced by chronic illness and abnormal concentrations of binding proteins. A three tier system is normally used; thyroxine (T4), then T3 or TSH and an index for binding proteins. The recently introduced TSH immunoradiometric assays (IRMA) offer the potential of a single test assessment of thyroid function. This was assessed by the measurement of T4, T3, THBC and the free thyroxine indices in subjects with CLD. Conventional tests showed a high number of abnormal T4 values but binding indices were normal. The TSH-IRMA results were all normal. TSH-IRMA assays are rapid, easy to use and cheap. They remove the uncertainties in assessing thyroid function in CLD and may be the test of choice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, St James's University Hospital, Leeds, UK.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bannister
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shapiro
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Faye
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bolton
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000097:blood; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay / Q000379:methods; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D013972:Thyrotropin