Giao Q Phan, Sahzene Yavuz, Angeliki M Stamatouli, Ritu Madan, Shanshan Chen, Amelia C Grover, Naris Nilubol, Pablo Bedoya, Cory Trankle, Roshanak Markley, Antonio Abbate, Francesco S Celi
{"title":"A feasibility double-blind trial of levothyroxine vs. levothyroxine-liothyronine in postsurgical hypothyroidism.","authors":"Giao Q Phan, Sahzene Yavuz, Angeliki M Stamatouli, Ritu Madan, Shanshan Chen, Amelia C Grover, Naris Nilubol, Pablo Bedoya, Cory Trankle, Roshanak Markley, Antonio Abbate, Francesco S Celi","doi":"10.3389/fendo.2025.1522753","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Context: </strong>Despite normalization of Thyrotropin (TSH), some patients with hypothyroidism treated with Levothyroxine (LT4) report residual symptoms which may be attributable to loss of endogenous triiodothyronine (T3).</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>Feasibility trial LT4/liothyronine (LT3) combination vs. LT4/placebo in post-surgical hypothyroidism.</p><p><strong>Design: </strong>Double-blind, placebo-controlled, 24-week study.</p><p><strong>Setting: </strong>Academic medical center.</p><p><strong>Patients: </strong>Individuals with indications for total thyroidectomy and replacement therapy.</p><p><strong>Interventions: </strong>LT4/LT3 5 mcg (twice daily) vs. LT4/placebo (twice daily). LT4 was adjusted at 6- and 12-weeks with the goal of baseline TSH ± 0.5 mcIU/ml.</p><p><strong>Main outcome measures: </strong>Changes in body weight, cholesterol, TSH, total T3, free tetraiodothyronine (T4). Cardiovascular function, energy expenditure, and quality of life (ThyPRO-39) were assessed in patients who completed at least the 3-month visit, last measure carried-forward.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Twelve patients (10 women and 2 men), age 51 ± 13.8 years (7 LT4/placebo, 5 LT4/LT3), were analyzed. No significant differences were observed in TSH. Following thyroidectomy, LT4/placebo resulted in higher free T4 + 0.26 ± 0.15 p<0.005 and lower total T3 -18 ± 9.6 ng/dl p<0.003, respectively, not observed in the LT4/LT3 group. The LT4/placebo group had a non-significant increase in body weight, +1.7 ± 3.8 Kg, total- and LDL-cholesterol +43.1 ± 72.8 and +32.0 ± 64.4 mg/dl. Conversely the LT4/LT3 group changes were -0.6 ± 1.9 Kg, -28.8 ± 49.0 and -19.0 ± 28.3 mg/dl, respectively, all non-significant. Non-significant improvement were observed in ThyPRO-39 measures in both groups, while energy expenditure, and diastolic function increased in the LT4/LT3 group.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>In this group of patients with post-surgical hypothyroidism LT4 replacement alone does not normalize free T4 and total T3 levels and is associated with non-significant increase in weight and cholesterol. LT4/LT3 combination therapy appears to prevent these changes.</p><p><strong>Clinical trial registration: </strong>Clinicatrials.gov, identifier NCT05682482.</p>","PeriodicalId":12447,"journal":{"name":"Frontiers in Endocrinology","volume":"16 ","pages":"1522753"},"PeriodicalIF":3.9000,"publicationDate":"2025-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11930800/pdf/","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Frontiers in Endocrinology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2025.1522753","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"2025/1/1 0:00:00","PubModel":"eCollection","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ENDOCRINOLOGY & METABOLISM","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Context: Despite normalization of Thyrotropin (TSH), some patients with hypothyroidism treated with Levothyroxine (LT4) report residual symptoms which may be attributable to loss of endogenous triiodothyronine (T3).
Objective: Feasibility trial LT4/liothyronine (LT3) combination vs. LT4/placebo in post-surgical hypothyroidism.
Patients: Individuals with indications for total thyroidectomy and replacement therapy.
Interventions: LT4/LT3 5 mcg (twice daily) vs. LT4/placebo (twice daily). LT4 was adjusted at 6- and 12-weeks with the goal of baseline TSH ± 0.5 mcIU/ml.
Main outcome measures: Changes in body weight, cholesterol, TSH, total T3, free tetraiodothyronine (T4). Cardiovascular function, energy expenditure, and quality of life (ThyPRO-39) were assessed in patients who completed at least the 3-month visit, last measure carried-forward.
Results: Twelve patients (10 women and 2 men), age 51 ± 13.8 years (7 LT4/placebo, 5 LT4/LT3), were analyzed. No significant differences were observed in TSH. Following thyroidectomy, LT4/placebo resulted in higher free T4 + 0.26 ± 0.15 p<0.005 and lower total T3 -18 ± 9.6 ng/dl p<0.003, respectively, not observed in the LT4/LT3 group. The LT4/placebo group had a non-significant increase in body weight, +1.7 ± 3.8 Kg, total- and LDL-cholesterol +43.1 ± 72.8 and +32.0 ± 64.4 mg/dl. Conversely the LT4/LT3 group changes were -0.6 ± 1.9 Kg, -28.8 ± 49.0 and -19.0 ± 28.3 mg/dl, respectively, all non-significant. Non-significant improvement were observed in ThyPRO-39 measures in both groups, while energy expenditure, and diastolic function increased in the LT4/LT3 group.
Conclusions: In this group of patients with post-surgical hypothyroidism LT4 replacement alone does not normalize free T4 and total T3 levels and is associated with non-significant increase in weight and cholesterol. LT4/LT3 combination therapy appears to prevent these changes.
期刊介绍:
Frontiers in Endocrinology is a field journal of the "Frontiers in" journal series.
In today’s world, endocrinology is becoming increasingly important as it underlies many of the challenges societies face - from obesity and diabetes to reproduction, population control and aging. Endocrinology covers a broad field from basic molecular and cellular communication through to clinical care and some of the most crucial public health issues. The journal, thus, welcomes outstanding contributions in any domain of endocrinology.
Frontiers in Endocrinology publishes articles on the most outstanding discoveries across a wide research spectrum of Endocrinology. The mission of Frontiers in Endocrinology is to bring all relevant Endocrinology areas together on a single platform.