Thyroid hormone plays an important role in cardiovascular function. Pericardial effusions are commonly seen in cases of severe hypothyroidism. However, large to massive pericardial effusions with cardiac tamponade are exceptionally rare. Herein, we present two cases of severe hypothyroidism with massive pericardial effusion. Our first case demonstrates that a patient with large pericardial effusion can be managed conservatively with aggressive thyroid hormone replacement therapy. In our second case, pericardiocentesis was performed in addition to thyroid hormone replacement therapy as the underlying aetiology of effusion could not be reasonably limited to hypothyroidism. These two cases served to highlight and demonstrate rapid normalisation of thyroid function test by using aggressive oral thyroid hormone replacement therapy using liothyronine, in combination with levothyroxine, which led to resolution of pericardial effusion and prevent its re-accumulation.
Pericardial Effusion ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

We report an anesthetic experience in a clinically euthyroid patient with hyperthyroxinemia (elevated free thyroxine, fT4 and normal 3, 5, 3'-L-triiodothyronine, T3) and suspected impairment of conversion from T4 to T3. Despite marked hyperthyroxinemia, this patient's perioperative hemodynamic profile was suspected to be the result of hypothyroidism, in reference to the presence of T4 to T3 conversion disorder. We suspected that pretreatment with antithyroid medication before surgery, surgical stress and anesthesia may have contributed to the decreased T3 level after surgery. She was treated with liothyronine sodium (T3) after surgery which restored her hemodynamic profile to normal. Anesthesiologists may be aware of potential risk and caveats of inducing hypothyroidism in patients with euthyroid hyperthyroxinemia and T4 to T3 conversion impairment.
Anesthesia ; Conversion Disorder ; Hemodynamics ; Humans ; Hyperthyroxinemia* ; Hypothyroidism ; Sodium ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

BACKGROUND: The analytical performance of the Vitros ECi(R) Immunodiagnostic System on the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4) and estradiol (E2) assays, which are based on electrochemical luminescence to replace the radioimmunoassay was evaluated. METHODS: The precision as measured by the NCCLS protocol and a comparison of the method were done for each TSH, FT3, FT4, and E2 assay. The functional sensitivity and linearity tests were performed for both TSH and E2. The free hormone validity test was performed for both the FT3 and FT4. RESULTS: All four analytes showed an acceptable precision. The functional sensitivities of TSH and E2 were 0.007 mIU/L, and 87 pmol/L, respectively. TSH and E2 showed excellent linearity up to 78 mIU/mL, and up to 7,700 pmol/L, respectively. The free hormone validity test showed acceptable results demonstrating accurate free hormone determination. The E2 showed a significant proportion-al bias requiring an adjustment of the reference range, However, the other analytes showed good agreement with a slight proportional bias. CONCLUSIONS: The TSH, FT3, FT4, and E2 assay by Vitros ECi(R) exhibited excellent performance overcoming the drawbacks of a conventional radioimmunoassay.
Bias (Epidemiology) ; Estradiol* ; Luminescence ; Radioimmunoassay ; Reference Values ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine* ; Triiodothyronine*

PURPOSE: Radioimmunoassay (RIA) was usually performed by the batch assay. To improve the efficiency of RIA without increase of the cost and time, random assay could be a choice. We investigated the possibility of the random assay using automatic dispenser by assessing the agreement between batch assay and random assay. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The experiments were performed with four items; Triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (fT4), Prostate specific antigen (PSA), Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). In each item, the sera of twenty patients, the standard, and the control samples were used. The measurements were done 4 times with 3 hour time intervals by random assay and batch assay. The coefficient of variation (CV) of the standard samples and patients' data in T3, fT4, PSA, and CEA were assessed. ICC (Intraclass correlation coefficient) and coefficient of correlation were measured to assessing the agreement between two methods. RESULTS: The CVs (%) of T3, fT4, PSA, and CEA measured by batch assay were 3.2+/-1.7%, 3.9+/-2.1%, 7.1+/-6.2%, 11.2+/-7.2%. The CVs by random assay were 2.1+/-1.7%, 4.8+/-3.1%, 3.6+/-4.8%, and 7.4+/-6.2%. The ICC between the batch assay and random assay were 0.9968 (T3), 0.9973 (fT4), 0.9996 (PSA), and 0.9901 (CEA). The coefficient of correlation between the batch assay and random assay were 0.9924(T3), 0.9974 (fT4), 0.9994 (PSA), and 0.9989 (CEA) (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of random assay showed strong agreement with the batch assay in a day. These results suggest that random assay using automatic dispenser could be used in radioimmunoassay.
Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; Humans ; Prostate-Specific Antigen ; Radioimmunoassay ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

OBJECTIVE: It is generally thought that thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG)-deficient individuals are euthyroid and do not require treatment. However, there have been case reports of TBG deficiency combined with hypothyroidism. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between TBG deficiency and thyroid function. METHODS: We reviewed the medical records of 32 patients diagnosed with TBG deficiency between 1997 and 2008 in Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital. All were partial TBG deficiency. Eighteen patients had combined hypothyroidism, and 14 patients had normal thyroid function. We compared the TBG, thyroid-stimulating hormone, free thyroxine, and total triiodothyronine levels between these 2 groups. Eighteen patients with TBG deficiency with hypothyroidism started thyroxine medication and continued for 2-3 years. After, they were followed up with thyroid function tests after discontinuing medication for 4 weeks at 2-3 years of age. RESULTS: The TBG level in TBG deficiency with hypothyroidism patients was significantly lower than that in TBG deficiency with normal thyroid function (4.43+/-2.22 mg/L vs. 6.23+/-1.81 mg/L; P=0.02). The percent TBG compared with normal mean TBG level according to age in the hypothyroidism patients was also significantly lower than that of patients with normal thyroid function (13.42%+/-6.92% vs. 19.08%+/-4.87%; P=0.014). Sixteen of 18 patients diagnosed with TBG deficiency with hypothyroidism showed persistent hypothyroidism at 2-3 years of age. CONCLUSION: We conclude that TBG-deficient patients should be observed closely and undergo thyroid function testing in order not to miss hypothyroidism. More investigations of TBG deficiency and thyroid function are needed in the future.
Humans ; Hypothyroidism ; Medical Records ; Seoul ; Thyroid Function Tests ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Thyroxine-Binding Globulin* ; Triiodothyronine

BACKGROUND: Plastic tubes have recently been used for blood collection tubes in clinical laboratories. The silicone coated plastic tube is said to be very similar with the glass tube and to show no difference with the glass tube in routine blood test except for some tests such as hormone tests and drug monitoring. So, we investigated the influence of plastic tube on the thyroid hormone test using two types of plastic vacuum tubes. METHODS: A total of 105 cases for the total triiodothyronine (T3), total thyroxine (T4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) were studied. The glass tube was a plain glass tube, and the plastic tube was a serum separator tube with gel. The plastic vacuum tubes used in this study were the SST II plus tube (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, USA) and the Vacuette tube (Greiner Bio-One, Kremsmunster, Austria). An IMMULITE 2000 analyzer (Diagnostic Products Corporation, Los Angeles, USA) was used to measure the total T3, total T4 and TSH. RESULTS: Comparisons of the measured values within 1 hour of blood collection in the plastic tube with that in the glass tube are as follows. There was no difference between the Vacuette tube and the glass tube for the three tests, while there was statistically significant difference between the SST II plus tube and the glass tube for the total T3 and total T4. CONCLUSIONS: It might need more cautious interpretation of the results by a solid-phase, competitive chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay, when the plastic vacuum tube is used as a blood collection tube instead of the glass tube.
Drug Monitoring ; Glass* ; Hematologic Tests ; Immunoenzyme Techniques ; Lakes ; Plastics* ; Silicones ; Thyroid Gland* ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine ; Vacuum*

The present study compared leptin, adiponectin, and thyroid hormone concentrations in normal and obese dogs, and evaluated the association between leptin and adiponectin concentrations and thyroid function. The serum leptin, adiponectin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), triiodothyronine (T3), and cortisol concentrations were measured in 18 normal dogs (body condition score [BCS]: 4-5/9) and 16 obese dogs (BCS: 8-9/9). Leptin and T3 concentrations were higher in the obese group than the normal weight group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). In both groups, the T3 and leptin concentrations were correlated (r = 0.370, p < 0.05), as were the TSH and fT4 and adiponectin concentrations (r = -0.373, p < 0.05 and r = 0.369, p < 0.05, respectively). In the normal weight group, the TSH and fT4 concentrations were correlated with the adiponectin concentrations (r = - 0.528, p < 0.05 and r = 0.482, p < 0.05, respectively). The results of the present study suggest that leptin and T3 concentrations are significantly higher in obese dogs than normal weight dogs, and the serum T3 and leptin concentrations are positively correlated.
Adiponectin* ; Animals ; Dogs* ; Hydrocortisone ; Leptin* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Hormones* ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

The present study compared leptin, adiponectin, and thyroid hormone concentrations in normal and obese dogs, and evaluated the association between leptin and adiponectin concentrations and thyroid function. The serum leptin, adiponectin, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), total thyroxine (tT4), free thyroxine (fT4), triiodothyronine (T3), and cortisol concentrations were measured in 18 normal dogs (body condition score [BCS]: 4-5/9) and 16 obese dogs (BCS: 8-9/9). Leptin and T3 concentrations were higher in the obese group than the normal weight group (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). In both groups, the T3 and leptin concentrations were correlated (r = 0.370, p < 0.05), as were the TSH and fT4 and adiponectin concentrations (r = -0.373, p < 0.05 and r = 0.369, p < 0.05, respectively). In the normal weight group, the TSH and fT4 concentrations were correlated with the adiponectin concentrations (r = - 0.528, p < 0.05 and r = 0.482, p < 0.05, respectively). The results of the present study suggest that leptin and T3 concentrations are significantly higher in obese dogs than normal weight dogs, and the serum T3 and leptin concentrations are positively correlated.
Adiponectin* ; Animals ; Dogs* ; Hydrocortisone ; Leptin* ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroid Hormones* ; Thyrotropin ; Thyroxine ; Triiodothyronine

An anastomosis of the vas deferens was performed on 17 patients since 1963.Semen specimens were examined repeatedly in 15 cases of the series after periods from 2 to 24 weeks following removal of the splint. The fifteen were found to have viable sperm in their ejaculates but one of these patients subsequently became azoospermic again. Three of the fifteen cases had some degree of deteriorated effects after the previous vasectomy but they were free of the complications following the successful anastomosis of the vas deferens. Operative rechnics were discussed. In this series 2-0 dermalon was used as a splint in 15 cases and stainless steel wire was used in 2 cases. Liothyronine was given to 16 of 17 patients at or before the operation for periods from 1 to 6months. Over-all successful results would indicate about 65 per cent of the cases operated in the literature. The author's small series indicates that more than 90 per cent of the operated cases could be successful in this operative procedure from the cytological point of view.
Humans ; Nylons ; Spermatozoa ; Splints ; Stainless Steel ; Surgical Procedures, Operative ; Triiodothyronine ; Vas Deferens* ; Vasectomy*

This study was undertaken to investigate the effect of anesthesia(balanced anesthesia) and surgery on plasma thyroxine and triiodothyronine levels in ten surgical patients by means of the radioimmunoassay method which provides a quantitative measure of thyroid function. The sex ratio between male and female patients was 1:1, mean age was 30.1+/-12.26 and the average body weight was 57.38+/-15.81kg. The plasma triiodothyronine level before anesthesia and surgery was 138.1+/-32.64(ug/dl) but at 90 minutes and 120 minutes after anesthesia and surgery they were 100+/-19.64(ug/dl) and 92.4+/-7.49(ug/dl) respectively. The plasma thyroxine level remained unchanged during anesthesia and surgery. Consequently there was a statistically significant decreased level in plasma triiodothyronine but there was no change in plasma thyroxine level during anesthesia and surgery.
Anesthesia* ; Balanced Anesthesia* ; Body Weight ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Plasma* ; Radioimmunoassay ; Sex Ratio ; Thyroid Gland ; Thyroxine* ; Triiodothyronine*