Background: The presence of an abnormally high thyroid-stimulating hormone
(TSH) response to thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) makes it difficult to
distinguish some euthyroid obese subjects from subclinically hypothyroid o
bese patients, Here, we examine whether such distinction may be achieved af
ter treatment with glucocorticoids, which inhibit TSH secretion at the hypo
thalamic-pituitary level.
Methods: TRH tests (200 pg as an intravenous bolus injection) were performe
d in 30 age- and weight-matched, obese, but otherwise healthy, men. All sub
jects were tested again with TRH after treatment with dexamethasone (dex) (
2 mg/d in four divided doses orally for 3 days).
Results: In all subjects, total thyroxine and triiodothyronine concentratio
ns were in the normal range. According to basal and TRH-stimulated serum th
yrotropin (TSH) levels, subjects were divided into the following three grou
ps: group I(n=10), euthyroid subjects; group II (n=10), euthyroid subjects
with normal basal but abnormally elevated TSH responses to TRH; group III (
n=10), subjects with elevated basal and TRH-induced TSH levels (subclinical
hypothyroid-ism). Basal TSH levels were 1.8 +/-0.4 mU/L in group I, 1.7 +/
-0.3 in group II, and 6.0 +/-0.7 in group III. In both groups II and III, T
RH-induced TSH increments were above the normal range (maximal increment >
15 mU/L) and were significantly higher than in group I. After the second tr
eatment with TRH, pretreatment with dex significantly decreased both basal
TSH levels and peak TSH responses to TRH in all groups. However, a striking
percentage decrease (> 50%) in TRH-induced peak TSH responses was observed
in euthyroid obese subjects of groups I and II, whereas hypothyroid subjec
ts of group III showed only a slight decrement (< 25%).
Conclusions: The sensitivity of the TSR secretory system to glucocorticoid
inhibitory action is preserved in obese subjects with abnormally elevated T
SH response to TRH, but not in subclinically hypothyroid obese patients. Th
e TRH plus dex test might be useful in future studies to understand the mec
hanisms underlying alterations in TSH secretion in obesity.