Mathematical Modeling of the Pituitary-Thyroid Feedback Loop: Role of a TSH-T₃-Shunt and Sensitivity Analysis.

ABSTRACT: Despite significant progress in assay technology, diagnosis of functional thyroid disorders may still be a challenge, as illustrated by the vague upper limit of the reference range for serum thyrotropin (TSH). Diagnostical problems also apply to subjects affected by syndrome T, i.e., those 10% of hypothyroid patients who continue to suffer from poor quality of life despite normal TSH concentrations under substitution therapy with levothyroxine (L-T₄). In this paper, we extend a mathematical model of the pituitary-thyroid feedback loop in order to improve the understanding of thyroid hormone homeostasis. In particular, we incorporate a TSH-T₃-shunt inside the thyroid, whose existence has recently been demonstrated in several cl

SUBMITTER: Berberich J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5871688 | biostudies-literature | 2018

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature