Evaluation of Thyroid Dysfunction in Egyptian Chronic Hepatitis C Virus Cirrhotic Patients Complicated with Portal Hypertension

Introduction Alterations in thyroid hormone regulation and metabolism are observed in cirrhotic patients with decreased serum (T3). Objectives to investigate the relation of thyroid dysfunction to esophageal varices, portal hypertensive gastropathy (PHG) and degree of liver dysfunction in Egyptian cirrhotic patients with portal hypertension. Material and methods study included 124 cirrhotic patients and 62 controls, patients were stratified into group I (62 patients) with esophageal varices and group II (62 patients) with portal hypertensive gastropathy without varices, each group was classified according to presence or absence of bleeding into subgroup A and B respectively. Grading of esophageal varices and PHG was done. Serum free T3 (FT3), free T4 and TSH levels were measured using Electrochemiluminescence immunoassay. Results Cirrhotic patients had significantly lower levels of FT3 than controls. Levels were not significantly differ between bleeders and non bleeders. FT3 was significantly lower in advanced Child's classes and in patients with higher variceal and PHG grades. FT3 was negatively correlated to oesophageal varices, PHG grades and INR. Conclusion FT3 level was negatively correlated to the degree of hepatic dysfunction, grades of esophageal varices and PHG indicating that FT3 may be used as a non invasive predictor for esophageal varices and PHG grading as well as degree of liver dysfunction in cirrhotic patients with or without bleeding, however, more studies need to be done on a wider scale of patients for confirmation of sensitivity and specificity of adding FT3 to other traditional predictors for varices as splenic size, P. V diameter and platelet count.