title: TSH suppression after intravenous glucocorticosteroid administration in preterm infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reports have described that, in adults, steroids suppress thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and triiodothyronine (T3) and might suppress thyroxine (T4). No data have been reported for thyroid hormone changes before or after administration of glucocorticoid in preterm infants.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate short-term effects of thyroid hormones on preterm infants. INDEX CASES: We measured TSH, free T3 (FT3), and free T4 (FT4) before and after one or two doses of glucocorticoids administered to five infants at 29-37 weeks of corrected gestational age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Comparison of thyroid hormone levels before and 1 day after glucocorticoid administration showed that TSH significantly decreased by 76% (64%-87%), FT3 by 33% (10%-50%), and FT4 by 10% (3%-17%). The decline in TSH and FT3 was followed by an increase around the pretreatment level at 3-15 days after glucocorticoid administration. In two of the five infants, FT4 continued to decrease from 1 day after glucocorticoid administration.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In preterm infants, assessing thyroid hormones after glucocorticoid therapy demands caution because very short-term administration causes marked changes.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, Yamagata Saisei Hospital, Yamagata, Japan. s-kaze@auone.jp
authors: Tomoyuki
authors: T
authors: Shimokaze
authors: Katsuaki
authors: K
authors: Toyoshima
authors: Jun
authors: J
authors: Shibasaki
authors: Masafumi
authors: M
authors: Miyata
authors: Makiko
authors: M
authors: Ohyama
authors: Motoyoshi
authors: M
authors: Kawataki
authors: Rikuo
authors: R
authors: Hoshino
authors: Yasufumi
authors: Y
authors: Itani
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D005938:Glucocorticoids / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D005938:Glucocorticoids; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013972:Thyrotropin