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  • Author: Salvatore Benvenga x
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Salvatore Benvenga Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Italy
Master Program on Childhood, Adolescent and Women's Endocrine Health, University of Messina School of Medicine, Italy
Interdepartmental Program of Molecular and Clinical Endocrinology, and Women's Endocrine Health, University Hospital Policlinico G. Martino, Messina, Italy

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Roberto Vita Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Italy

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Flavia Di Bari Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Italy

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Poupak Fallahi Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

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Alessandro Antonelli Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

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Nephrotic syndrome increases <smlcap>L</smlcap>-thyroxine requirements because of urinary loss of free and protein-bound thyroid hormones. We report 2 hypothyroid patients referred to us because of high serum TSH, even though the <smlcap>L</smlcap>-thyroxine daily dose was maintained at appropriate levels or was increased. The cause of nephrotic syndrome was multiple myeloma in one patient and diabetic glomerulosclerosis in the other patient. As part of the periodic controls for diabetes, urinalysis was requested only in the second patient so that proteinuria could be detected. However, as in the first patient, facial puffiness and body weight increase were initially attributed to hypothyroidism, which was poorly compensated by <smlcap>L</smlcap>-thyroxine therapy. In the first patient, the pitting nature of the pedal edema was missed at the initial examination. An endocrinologist consulted over the phone by the practitioner hypothesized some causes of intestinal malabsorption of <smlcap>L</smlcap>-thyroxine. This diagnosis would have been accepted had the patient continued taking a known sequestrant of <smlcap>L</smlcap>-thyroxine, i.e. calcium carbonate. The diagnostic workup of patients with increasing requirements of <smlcap>L</smlcap>-thyroxine replacement therapy should not be concentrated on the digestive system alone. Careful history taking and physical examination need to be thorough. Endocrinologists should not forget nephrotic syndrome that, in turn, can be secondary to serious diseases.

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Federica D’Aurizio Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Alessia Biasotto Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Claudia Cipri Endocrinology, Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition Unit, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Franco Grimaldi Endocrinology, Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition Unit, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Jessica Zucco Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Stefania Marzinotto Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Francesco Curcio Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Clinical Pathology, University Hospital of Udine, Udine, Italy
Department of Medicine, University of Udine, Udine, Italy

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Salvatore Benvenga Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrinology Section, University of Messina, Messina, Italy

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Introduction

Thyroid function tests (TFT) are extensively used in daily clinical practice. Here, we described a case of incongruent TFT both in a pregnant woman and in her newborn.

Case presentation

A 32-year-old woman, diagnosed with autoimmune thyroiditis during her first pregnancy, was monitored during her second gestation. At week 5 + 2 days, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) values (Dimension VISTA 1500, Siemens Healthineers) were within normal limits. At week 19 + 5 days, TSH remained normal while FT4 increased approximately by three-fold. FT4 inconsistency was with both TSH and the clinical status since she continued to be clinically euthyroid. On the same serum sample, thyroid autoantibodies were negative. At week 25 + 4 days, the patient complained of palpitations and dyspnea, with tachycardia. Even though TSH was normal, high levels of both FT4 and free triiodothyronine (FT3) were interpreted as evidence of thyroid overactivity and methimazole was started. TFT of the pregnant woman continued to be monitored throughout gestation. Postpartum FT4 and FT3 gradually returned to normal. TFT, performed on the daughter’s serum, 3 days after birth, showed the same inconsistency as her mother but without clinical signs of congenital hyperthyroidism. Based on the clinical and laboratory setting, the presence of circulating autoantibodies against T3 and T4 (THAb) was suspected and demonstrated by radioimmunoprecipitation.

Conclusion

Analytical interferences should be supposed when TFT do not fit with the clinical picture and despite their infrequency, THAb must also be considered. To our knowledge, this is the first case describing the passage of THAb to the newborn.

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