Year: 1952
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Since hypometabolism and hypercholesterolemia are common to both hypothyroidism and nephro- sis, it was postulated that thyroid activity was sub- normal in nephrotic patients.However, Epstein found that remarkably large doses of thyroid hor- mone could be given to nephrotic patients without inducing hypermetabolism (1).Such tolerance to thyroid medication is unusual among patients with true hypothyroidism.It has therefore been sug- gested that the hypometabolism and increased se- rum cholesterol in nephrosis are due not to de- creased thyroid function but to other causes, as yet unknown (2).The recent demonstration that the concentra- tion of protein-bound iodine in the serum is re- duced in nephrosis (3) has once more raised the question of whether thyroid function is impaired in this syndrome.The present study is an at- tempt to answer this question. MATERIALS AND METHODSThe subjects for this study were patients in the active phase of the nephrotic syndrome with hypoproteinemia, proteinuria, and edema.All were hospitalized, eight at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital, eight at the Presby- terian Hospital, and three at the Massachusetts General Hospital.The sex, age, and type of nephrosis are listed in Table I.The concentration of protein-bound iodine in the serum was determined by the method of Man, Smirnow, Gildea, and Peters (4).In certain patients the same method was used for the determination of protein-bound iodine in urine.The volume of urine used for analysis was so chosen as to contain approximately 0.4 gm. of protein.The urinary protein was precipitated with acid zinc sul- fate and sodium hydroxide, using the same quantities of
DOI: 10.1172/jci102664
Authors: Lillian Recant, Douglas S. Riggs
Language: English
Subfield: Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
Funder: Commonwealth Fund
OpenAlex ID: W1987825218