Relationship between serum erythropoietin levels and rT3, T4 concentrations in elderly patients with non-thyroidal illnesses

Summary d function, plasma erythropoietin and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) concentrations were measured in 28 elderly patients with chronic non-thyroidal illnesses (NTI) and in 8 healthy subjects as a control group. In the NTI group, the existence of an impairment of thyroid function has been demonstrated in about 85 % of the subjects, with a lower T3 concentration; a low T3 syndrome with low T3 levels and high reverse-T3 (rT3) plasma concentrations could be found in 25 % of the subjects. A direct correlation between erythropoietin and rT3 and an inverse correlation between erythropoietin and T4 were found on NTI patients with endocrine abnormalities.