Determinants of serum T4 and T3 at the time of diagnosis in nosological types of thyrotoxicosis: a population-based study.
OBJECTIVE
To characterize thyroid hormone levels at the time of diagnosis in the nosological types of thyrotoxicosis diagnosed in the population and to analyze determinants for serum thyroxine (T4) and tri-iodothyronine (T3).


METHODS
Population-based study of thyrotoxicosis at disease onset.


METHODS
In the period 1997-2000, we prospectively identified all patients diagnosed with incident primary overt thyrotoxicosis in a Danish population cohort and classified patients into ten well-defined nosological types of disease (n=1082). Untreated levels of serum T3, T4, and T3:T4 ratio were compared and related to sex, age, level of iodine deficiency, smoking status, alcohol intake, iodine supplement use, co-morbidity, and TSH receptor antibodies (TRAbs) in multivariate models.


RESULTS
Graves' disease (GD) patients had much higher levels of T3 and higher T3:T4 ratio at diagnosis compared with other thyrotoxic patients, but with a profound negative association between hormone levels and age. In GD, patients diagnosed in the area with more severe iodine deficiency had lower levels of T3 and T4. TRAb-negative GD patients had biochemically mild thyrotoxicosis. Higher age was also associated with lower degree of biochemical thyrotoxicosis in nodular toxic goiter. We found no association between serum T3 and T4 and sex, smoking habits, iodine supplements, alcohol intake, or co-morbidity in any type of thyrotoxicosis.


CONCLUSIONS
The study gives new insight into the hormonal presentation of thyrotoxicosis and showed that young age, positive TRAb levels, but also residency in the area with higher iodine intake was positively associated with biochemical disruption in GD.
Department of Endocrinology, Aalborg University Hospital, DK-9000 Aalborg, Denmark.
Allan
A
Carlé
Nils
N
Knudsen
Inge Bülow
IB
Pedersen
Hans
H
Perrild
Lars
L
Ovesen
Lone Banke
LB
Rasmussen
Peter
P
Laurberg
D000236:Adenoma / Q000097:blood; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000097:blood; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011153:Population; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin / Q000276:immunology; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood; D013971:Thyrotoxicosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000145:classification / Q000175:diagnosis; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood*; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D011989:Receptors, Thyrotropin; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013974:Thyroxine