CONCENTRATIONS AND FATTY ACID COMPOSITION OF SERUM LIPIDS FOLLOWING SERIOUS COMPLICATING ILLNESS IN HYPOTHYROIDISM

Abstract

ABSTRACT Studies on serum lipids and their fatty acid composition have been carried out in 3 patients with untreated hypothyroidism, who also suffered from acute complicating diseases. It was found that the hypothyroid patients reacted to the acute complicating disease in the same way as euthyroid subjects, i. e. with a lowering of serum cholesterol and phospholipids, and disturbances in fatty acid composition. Very low values of linoleic acid percentages were found following one week of complicating disease, contrary to findings made in hypothyroid patients without any complicating diseases. The changes in fatty acid composition indicate a very active re-synthesis of lipoproteins. It is suggested that the unknown factor responsible for lipoprotein degradation in acute illness also activates their re-synthesis, since the formation and turnover of lipoproteins in hypothyroidism are usually low.