Thyroid hormone economy in response to extreme cold exposure in healthy factory workers

The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism
M SolterM Sekso

Abstract

The effects of cold exposure on serum total T4 (TT4), total T3 (TT3), free T4 (FT4), free T3 (FT3), rT3, TSH, T4-binding globulin (TBG), and T3 resin uptake were investigated in 82 euthyroid factory workers. Twenty-five workers (group 1) were exposed intermittently (approximately 3.5 h daily) to extreme cold (-40 to -20 C) during the 8-h work shift, and 47 (group 2) were exposed to moderate cold (-10 to 8 C) for the entire 8 h. Ten individuals working at room temperature for the same period also were studied. After cold exposure, serum TT4 decreased in group 1 and did not change in group 2, whereas FT4 did not change in group 1 and increased in group 2. After exposure, serum TT3 and rT3 decreased significantly in both groups, while FT3 did not change in either. The basal serum TT4 levels in groups 1 and 2 were significantly lower than those in the control group, whereas those of FT4 and FT3 were higher. Thus, cold exposure had opposite effects on total thyroid hormones and their free fractions, consistent with a cold-induced decrease in thyroid hormone-binding capacity. A postexposure decrease in serum TBG was found in women in group 2, but not in men in either group 2 or group 1, suggesting that factors other than decreased TB...Continue Reading

Citations

Jan 1, 1995·European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology·R C SawhneyM Basu
Oct 11, 2011·Wilderness & Environmental Medicine·Emily C P LaVoyRichard J Simpson
Jul 20, 2005·Acta Physiologica Scandinavica·J LeppäluotoJ Hassi
Jan 23, 2004·Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·Justine A LeeStuart Nelson
May 14, 2020·Hormones : International Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism·Sergey TsibulnikovPeter Oeltgen

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