RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERUM ERYTHROPOIETIN LEVELS AND RT(3), T-4 CONCENTRATIONS IN ELDERLY PATIENTS WITH NONTHYROIDAL ILLNESSES

Thyroid function, plasma erythropoietin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF -alpha) concentrations were measured in 28 elderly patients with chron ic non-thyroidal illnesses (NTI) and in 8 healthy subjects as a contro l group. In the NTI group, the existence of an impairment of thyroid f unction has been demonstrated in about 85 % of the subjects, with a lo wer T-3 concentration; a low T-3 syndrome with low T-3 levels and high reverse-T-3 (r(3)T(3)) plasma concentrations could be in 25 % of the subjects. A direct correlation between erythropoietin and rT(3) and in verse correlation between erythropoietin and T-4 were found on NTI pat ients with endocrine abnormalities.