Is there any relation between thyroid gland function and kidney transplant function?
BACKGROUND
Patients with chronic renal failure exhibit abnormalities of thyroid function. Reports regarding thyroid function in kidney transplant recipients (TX) are rare, particularly those individuals on long-term immunosuppression. The aim of this study was to investigate correlations between FT3, FT4, TSH concentrations, thyroid volume, and graft function.


METHODS
The study enrolled 46 kidney allograft recipients (aged 27-67 years,) engrafted between years 1994 and 2000 and clinically stable. The mean time after TX was 45.3 +/- 37.4 months. Transplanted patients received prednisone, cyclosporine, and azathioprine. The control group included 22 patients with normal renal function. In addition to serum creatinine, TSH, FT3, and FT4 concentrations, thyroid examinations were performed with a 7.5-MHz linear probe to calculated the thyroid volume.


RESULTS
Thyroid volume in TX patients was 25.3 +/- 13.3 mL. A positive correlation existed between thyroid volume and serum creatinine (P <.05), and a negative one between thyroid volume and TSH (P <.05). No correlation was observed between TSH, FT4, and serum creatinine. The time after TX was negatively related to TSH (P <.05). A negative correlation existed also between FT3 and creatinine in TX patients (P <.05). In the control group the concentrations of TSH and FT3 were within normal ranges.


CONCLUSIONS
The FT3 concentration correlates with function of the renal graft. In TX patients the supplementary thyroid hormone therapy should be considered.
Łebkowska
U
U
Department of Radiology, Medical Univ, Bialystok, Poland.
Małyszko
J
J
Łebkowski
W J
WJ
Walecki
J
J
Myśliwiec
M
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000502:physiology*; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood
D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine