Suppression of the TSH response to TRH by thyroxine therapy in differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients.

Absent response of serum thyrotrophin (TSH) after stimulation with 200 micrograms synthetic thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) was used as a criterion of adequate suppression of TSH in the treatment of thyroid carcinoma patients with thyroxine. The mean causing total suppression of the response was 223 micrograms of thyroxine per day. At this dose level about 40% of the patients had serum thyroxine concentrations above the upper reference interval and only 10% had elevated triiodothyronine concentrations. In some patients the TSH response to TRH varied between absent and low normal when tested at long intervals. The ideal dose of thyroxine is obviously slightly higher than the smallest one causing total suppression of the TSH response to TRH, i.e. about 250 micrograms a day. The individual dose must be found using the TRH stimulation test because serum thyroid hormone levels cannot be used as a guideline for adequate dosage. In some patients the thyroid remnant of apparently normal thyroid tissue was not totally suppressed although the thyroxine dose was definitely above the level causing suppression of the response to TRH.