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Changes in Serum Thyroid Hormone, Thyrotropin and Thyroglobulin Concentrations during Thyroxine Therapy in Patients with Solitary Thyroid Nodules

Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka; and Kuma Hospital (K.K.) Kobe, Japan

Address requests for reprints to: Dr. Tetsuya Morita, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812,Japan.

We studied the effect of therapy with 0.1 mg/day T₄ for 3 months on goiter size in 49 patients with solitary thyroid nodules. The nodule volume in 18 patients (responders) decreased by more than 50%. In this group the mean serum thyroglobulin (T^g) levels decreased significantly (from 425 to 61 µg/L; P < 0.01). In the nonresponders the mean serum Tg levels did not change significantly (145 vs. 250 /;µg/;L). The mean serum T₄, free T₄, free T₃, and rT₃ concentrations increased significantly in both groups during T₄ therapy, serum T₃ levels did not change, and serum TSH decreased. These findings demonstrate that serum T_g levels decrease when T₄ therapy is effective. Thus, serum T_g measurements may prove a useful indicator of the efficacy of T₄ therapy in patients with solitary nodules.

Received November 21, 1988.

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