Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Vol 40, 334-338, Copyright © 1975 by Endocrine Society
Serum thyroid hormones and thyrotropin in anorexia nervosa
K Miyai, T Yamamoto, M Azukizawa, K Ishibashi and Y Kumahara
Sixteen patients with typical signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa were
studied with measurement of serum thyroxine (T4), triiodothyronine (T3) and
thyrotropin (TSH), both baseline and stimulated by thyrotropin- releasing
hormone (TRH). The results of the patients were compared with those of 16
normal control subjects. Serum T4 (5.8 plus or minus 0.26 mug/100 ml, mean
plus or minus SE) and T3 (82 plus or minus 5.7 ng/100 ml) of patients with
anorexia nervosa were significantly (P less than 0.001) lower than those of
control subjects (T4 7.7 plus or minus 0.32 mug/100 ml and T3 158 plus or
minus 4.7 ng/100 ml respectively). Furthermore, the ratio of T3/T4 (1.48
plus or minus 0.243 x 10(-2)) in anorexia nervosa was also lower than that
of control subjects (2.21 plus or minus 0.093 x 10(-2)) (P less than
0.001). Basal serum TSH was within normal or below the limits of detection.
TSH and T3 rose after administration of TRH. The peak values of TSH were
observed after 60 to 12o min, instead of 30 min normally seen after TRH
injection.
