The Fractionation of the Iodine of the Blood in Thyroid Disease

Endocrine Review: THE CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE BLOOD IODINE: A REVIEW*

“…Perkin and Hurxthal reported the PBI in myxedema as 2.5 micrograms per cent as compared to a normal of 5.3. The "inorganic" iodine, however, showed a relative increase, suggesting inability of the thyroid gland in this disease to synthesize iodine into an organic form (157). Talbot and his associates similarly reported 4 juvenile hypothyroid patients in whom the PBI ranged from 1.8 to 3.0 (average, 2.3) as compared to normal of 6.0 to 8.4 (average, 7.0), whereas in adult patients with myxedema the average PBI was 3.8 micrograms per cent (72).…”

“…Dodds and his associates state that in the main a high BMR is associated with a high PBI, but that no quantitative relationship exists between the two (182). Perkin and Hurxthal likewise found no correlation between the BMR and PBI (157).…”

“…and his associates demonstrated a normal total blood iodine in approximately one third of their patients with "hyperthyroidism". These normal values were apparent when untreated hyperthyroid symptoms had been present for one year or more, whereas when symptoms had been present for less than nine months the patients had elevated blood iodine values (27,119,120,144,157,189,190). Puppel and Curtis have shown that patients with hyperthyroidism are in negative iodine balance (193).…”

“…Treatment of hyperthyroidism with iodine tends to lower the level of protein-bound iodine coincident with clinical improvement (19,75,76,78,90,157). On the other hand spurious elevations are reported (75,78,91,94,158,159).…”

“…Perkin and his associates (27,119,120,144,157,189,190) reported the total blood iodine elevated when hyperthyroid symptoms had been present for less than nine months. On the other hand, in patients with untreated symptoms for one year or more, they found the total blood iodine generally normal.…”