Relationship between serum erythropoietin levels and rT3, T4 concentrations in elderly patients with non-thyroidal illnesses

F Corica; A Allegra; M Buemi; L Castagna; A Corsonello; A Di Benedetto; A Cotroneo; G Cucinotta; M Cincotta; D Ceruso

doi:10.1016/0167-4943(96)86981-0

Relationship between serum erythropoietin levels and rT3, T4 concentrations in elderly patients with non-thyroidal illnesses

Arch Gerontol Geriatr. 1996:22 Suppl 1:451-6. doi: 10.1016/0167-4943(96)86981-0.

Authors

F Corica¹, A Allegra, M Buemi, L Castagna, A Corsonello, A Di Benedetto, A Cotroneo, G Cucinotta, M Cincotta, D Ceruso

Affiliation

¹ Department of Internal Medicine, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria, l-98124, Messina, Italy.

PMID: 18653076
DOI: 10.1016/0167-4943(96)86981-0

Abstract

Thyroid function, plasma erythropoietin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) concentrations were measured in 28 elderly patients with chronic non-thyroidal illnesses (NTI) and in 8 healthy subjects as a control group. In the NTI group, the existence of an impairment of thyroid function has been demonstrated in about 85% of the subjects, with a lower T(3) concentration; a low T(3) syndrome with low T(3) levels and high reverse-T(3) (rT(3)) plasma concentrations could be found in 25% of the subjects. A direct correlation between erythropoietin and rT(3) and an inverse correlation between erythropoietin and T(4) were found on NTI patients with endocrine abnormalities.