A Case Control Study Evaluating Thyroid Profile in Patients of Liver Cirrhosis: An Observational Study

AbstractAim: This study was conducted to study thyroid dysfunction in patients of liver cirrhosis and any associationbetween severity of liver cirrhosis and thyroid profile.Methods: This case-control study was conducted in the Department of Medicine. A total of 200 liver cirrhosispatients (case) and equal number (200) of healthy controls were included in this study. The study was conductedfor the period of two years.Results: A total of 200 liver cirrhosis cases (150 males and 50 females) and 200 apparently healthy controls(120 males and 80 females) were included in the final analysis. The mean age was 46.34 ± 8.24 years for casesand 47.23 ± 6.34 years for controls. Controls as compared to cases had higher free T3 (fT3) (2.48 ± 0.44 vs.1.64 ± 0.52 pg/ml) and free T4 (fT4) (1.28 ± 0.32 vs. 1.16 ± 0.46 ng/ml), although the difference was significantonly for free T3. On the contrary, TSH values of cases were found to be significantly higher as compared to thatof controls (3.57 ± 0.90 vs. 3.02 ± 0.64 μIU/ml). Low T3 syndrome and hypothyroidism were common thyroiddisorders (24% and 18%), normal thyroidal illness syndrome with low T4 and high T4 were observed among16% and 12% cases, whereas out of 200 controls, 180 (90%) did not have any abnormality in thyroid functions.Only 14 (7%) cases were diagnosed as normal thyroidal illness syndrome with high T4 abnormality. Thedifference in thyroid dysfunctions between cases and controls was found to be significant statistically.Conclusion: Liver disease cases as compared to controls had significantly lower fT3 levels and significantlyhigher TSH levels. Mortality rate of liver disease cases with thyroid dysfunction was also found to besignificantly higher