Department of Medicine, Thyroid Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
Med Clin North Am. 2012 Mar;96(2):165-73. doi: 10.1016/j.mcna.2012.01.007. Epub 2012 Feb 1.
The thyroid gland produces thyroid hormone, which has clinically important actions practically in every system in the human body. Detailed knowledge of the physiology of the thyroid gland is critical for the proper management of thyroid disorders. The molecular biology of thyroid function is being studied in great detail. Clinically important molecules, such as the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor and the sodium/iodide symporter, have been identified and well characterized. Such discoveries have significantly improved our understanding of thyroid physiology. As a result, new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches for the management of thyroid disorders are now available or in development.
甲状腺分泌甲状腺激素，这种激素在人体的几乎每个系统中都具有重要的临床作用。详细了解甲状腺的生理学对于正确治疗甲状腺疾病至关重要。甲状腺功能的分子生物学正在被深入研究。一些具有临床重要意义的分子，如促甲状腺激素受体和钠/碘转运体，已经被鉴定并很好地进行了特征描述。这些发现极大地提高了我们对甲状腺生理学的认识。因此，现在有新的诊断和治疗方法可用于治疗甲状腺疾病或正在开发中。
