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Decreased insulin receptor binding in hyperthyroidism

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Summary

The binding of125I-insulin to insulin receptors on circulating mononuclear leukocytes was studied in ten patients with hyperthyroidism and 20 euthyroid normal volunteers. The hyperthyroid patients demonstrated significantly elevated glucose levels following an oral glucose load, despite normal insulin secretion. The infusion of insulin resulted in a delayed hypoglycaemic effect in the hyperthyroid patients; however, the inhibition of the endogenous insulin secretion as indicated by suppression of C-peptide levels was not different from euthyroid control subjects. Insulin binding to monocytes was significantly decreased in the hyperthyroid patients. Scatchard analysis of binding data indicates that a decrease of receptor number rather than receptor affinity seems to be the cause of the lowered insulin binding in hyperthyroid patients with diffuse toxic goitre. The findings of decreased insulin receptor number, mild degree of glucose intolerance despite normal insulin secretion and the delayed hypoglycaemic effect following insulin infusion suggest that peripheral insulin resistance could be involved in the highly complex pathophysiology of glucose intolerance in hyperthyroidism.

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Abbreviations

T4:

thyroxine

T3:

triiodothronine

OGTT:

Oral Glucose Tolerance Test

KE :

insulin tracer concentration

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. II. Medizinische Universitätsklinik Wien und Ludwig Boltzmann Institut für Klinische Endokrinologie und Nuklearmedizin, Wien

    G. Schernthaner, R. Prager, M. Weissel & R. Höfer

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  1. G. Schernthaner
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  2. R. Prager
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  3. M. Weissel
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  4. R. Höfer
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Presented in part at the 12th Annual Meeting of the European Thyroid Association, Brussels, September 6–10, 1982

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Schernthaner, G., Prager, R., Weissel, M. et al. Decreased insulin receptor binding in hyperthyroidism. Klin Wochenschr 62, 1074–1080 (1984). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01711376

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01711376

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