The type II iodothyronine deiodinase is up-regulated in skeletal muscle during prolonged critical illness.
BACKGROUND
Critical illness is associated with the low T(3) syndrome. It remains unclear whether altered type II deiodinase activity (D2) in skeletal muscle contributes to this syndrome.


OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to study D2 expression and activity in skeletal muscle of acute and prolonged critically ill patients.


METHODS
We conducted a clinical observational study in acute and prolonged critical illness with comparison with healthy controls at a university hospital surgical intensive care unit.


METHODS
Subjects included 63 prolonged critically ill patients who died in the intensive care unit, 21 acutely ill patients, and 38 controls matched for age, gender, and body mass index.


RESULTS
Elevated expression of the D2 gene and D2 activity in skeletal muscle of prolonged, but not acute, critically ill patients were observed in the face of low circulating thyroid hormone levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Reduced D2 activity does not appear to play a role in the pathogenesis of the low T(3) syndrome of critical illness.
Mebis
Liese
L
Department of Intensive Care Medicine, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Langouche
Lies
L
Visser
Theo J
TJ
Van den Berghe
Greet
G
D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D016638:Critical Illness; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000201:enzymology*; D012313:RNA / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation; D000097564:Iodothyronine Deiodinase Type II
D006854:Hydrocortisone; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D012313:RNA; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D000097564:Iodothyronine Deiodinase Type II