[Hypothyroidism and myocardial damage in cardiac donors].
OBJECTIVE
Brain death may induce myocardial contractile dysfunction and hypothyroidism. This myocardial dysfunction is a limiting factor when considering donor heart for transplantation. Myocardial damage has shown to be the mechanism in which contractile dysfunction is established in donors. On the other hand, hypothyroidism has been evoked as a major cause of cardiovascular disorders in brain dead subjects. It is not known whether any relationship exists between hypothyroidism and myocardial damage that appear in brain death. In this study myocardial damage and thyroid status are quantified in a donor population, and whether a correlation between hypothyroidism and myocardial damage exists is analyzed.


METHODS
Serum samples from 45 cardiac donors were examined for cardiac troponins T and I as myocardial damage markers, as well as thyroid hormones. Correlations between cardiac troponins and thyroid hormones were assessed.


RESULTS
One or both cardiac troponins were elevated in 19 donors (42.2%). Hypothyroidism was a very frequent finding, since it was present in 39 donors (86.7%). No correlation was observed between any of the myocardial damage markers and thriiodothyronine levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Hypothyroidism and myocardial damage are common in brain dead donors. No association exists between both disorders.
López Haldón
J
J
Servicios de Cardiología ospital San Sebastián, Ecija, Hospital Universitario Virgen del Rocío, Sevilla. lhaldon@interbook.net
Martínez Martínez A
Ordóñez
A
A
Marqués
J
J
Miguel Borrego
J
J
Luis Serrera
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001926:Brain Death / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014019:Tissue Donors; D019210:Troponin I / Q000097:blood; D020107:Troponin T / Q000097:blood
D019210:Troponin I; D020107:Troponin T