| Background |
Triiodothyronine, a thyroid hormone, circulates in blood to carrier proteins. The main transport protein is thyroxine-binding globulin (TBG). However, only the free (unbound) portion of triiodothyronine is believed to be responsible for the biological action. Further, the concentrations of the carrier proteins are altered in many clinical conditions, such as pregnancy. In normal thyroid function as the concentrations of the carrier proteins alters, the total triiodothyronine level changes so that the free triiodothyronine concentration remains constant. Thus, measurements of free triiodothyronine concentrations correlate more reliably with clinical status than total triiodothyronine levels. For example, the increase in total triiodothyronine levels associated with pregnancy, oral contraceptives and estrogen therapy result in higher total T3 levels while the free T3 concentration remains basically unchanged. |
