Clinical, laboratory and immunologic effects of the treatment of endemic goiter with T4, T3 and KI.

We treated 204 patients with endemic nontoxic goiter with T4, T3 and KI, singly or in combination. Definitely nodular goiters were excluded, since the possibility of autonomy would be increased. Goiter size was evaluated before and 6 months after treatment clinically in a blind way, i.

The relation of serum T4 and TSH with the urinary iodine excretion.

The urinary iodine excretion, expressed as the iodine/creatinine (I/Cr) ratio, was correlated with the serum T4 and TSH levels in persons with a relatively constant iodine intake for at least 6 months. It was found that the group with an I/Cr ratio of 151-200 micrograms/g had on average the lowest serum TSH and the highest serum T4 level. The differences in serum TSH from the other groups were statistically significant, whereas the differences in serum T4 were not.

Treatment of endemic goitre with iodine and thyroid hormones, alone or in combination. (Preliminary report).

108 patients with endemic nontoxic goitre have been treated in the field with thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3), and potassium iodide (KI), singly or in combination, or with placebo. After 6 months of continuous treatment, goitre size decreased significantly in the 7 actively treated groups, but not in the one treated with placebo. The combination of 150 micrograms T4 + 150 micrograms KI daily seemed the most effective treatment, both clinically and by its suppression of the 131I uptake and the TSH response to TRH, followed by 100 micrograms T4 + 25 micrograms T3 or 200 micrograms T4, but the difference from the other groups was not statistically significant.

Metabolic insufficiency as a limiting factor in the dietetic treatment of obesity.

Previous observations that acute total fasting decreases serum T3 and increase rT3 has prompted the following study. 17 obese women were placed on a 1000 kcal/day weight-reducing diet, and body weight (BW), serum T4, RT3U, T3, rT3, TSH and the Achilles tendon reflex (ATR) were estimated before and after each month for 3 consecutive months of the diet. The results showed a consistent decrease in serum T3, and inconsistent increase in rT3, a consistent prolongation of the ATR and a levelling-off of the BW loss after the second month of the diet.

The effects of mild iodine deficiency on neonatal thyroid function.

In order to assess neonatal thyroid function in the endemic goitre areas of Greece, T4 and TSH have been measured. Previous studies had shown that in these endemic areas, adults had low T4 but normal TSH values, probably because of an increase in the serum T3 level. In this study, T4 and TSH were measured in dried blood spots from 259 neonates.

Iodide organification defect in iodine deficiency endemic goiter.

In 17 goitrous persons in an iodine-deficient area, in 23 nongoitrous inhabitants of the same village, in 10 goitrous persons in Athens, and 8 normal controls the perchlorate discharge test was performed, either in the simple standard form or after pretreatment with either 0.5 or 2.0 mg potassium iodide or 2.

Lack of influence of povidone-iodine on tests of thyroid function.

The external application of povidone-iodine, an antiseptic agent, was tested for its influence on thyroid function. Previous workers have described some in vitro changes in thyroid function tests following its use. In the present study topical application of povidone-iodine did not affect thyroid function as measured some days later using both in vivo and radio-active iodine in vitro test methods, despite the fact that the latter are notorious for being influenced by exogenous iodine.

Thyroid scanning with gallium-67 and cesium-131.

The roles of 131Cs and 67Ga in the evaluation of solitary thyroid nodules were investigated. Radionuclide scans were performed with 67Ga and 131I in 27 patients and with 131Cs and 131I in 43 patients. Gallium-67 detected only two of eight malignant nonfunctioning nodules and 131Cs detected one of three such nodules.

Comparison of various treatment schedules for accelerating the elimination of radioiodine from the thyroid and the human body.

In 68 euthyroid patients undergoing 131I thyroid function tests the thyroidal, urinary and plasma protein-bound radioactivity has been serially measured for 14 days. The patients were subdivided in controls and 9 groups treated with potassium iodide, carbimazole, potassium perchlorate and TSH, singly or in combination. The aim was to devise a treatment scheme for accelerating the release of iodine from the thyroid and the elimination from the body in cases of accidental radioiodine poisoning if the patient is seen after the radioiodine has already been taken up by the gland.