title: Studies of thyroid hormone and methimazole levels in patients with Graves' disease on a standardized anti-thyroid drug regimen.
abstract: The outcome of a standardized carbimazole (CMI) regimen was evaluated in fifty-four patients with Graves' disease. Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) serum values were determined before and throughout the first 6-8 months of therapy. Before therapy, decreasing T4/T3 ratios were found with increasing T3 levels, reflecting a relative increase in T3 production compared with T4 in thyrotoxicosis. High pretreatment T3 values were comparatively common among patients in whom a fixed CMI dosage had a insufficient effect. T4 levels were less informative in this respect. Serum levels of methimazole (MMI), the active metabolite of CMI, were dose-dependent. A 50% reduction in dosage resulted in a similar decrease in the serum values. For a give dose, the MMI levels differed considerably among individuals. The variation was not related to thyroid hormone values. It appears that the response to the anti-thyroid drug is primarily dependent upon the severity of the disease, Which is clearly reflected in serum T3 levels, rather than individual differences in drug handling. A routine CMI regimen for the treatment of thyrotoxicosis is suggested.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002231:Carbimazole / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008713:Methimazole / Q000097:blood*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D014284:Triiodothyronine; D008713:Methimazole; D002231:Carbimazole; D013974:Thyroxine