Thyroid function in insulin-dependent diabetic children.

Serum concentrations of thyroxine (T4),3,5,3'-triiodothyronine (T3),3,3',5'-reverse triiodothyronine (rT3),T3-binding capacity (TBC) and TSH were measured in 10 children with diabetes mellitus (mean age: 12.8 +/- 2 yr). The children were without ketoacidosis and serum glucose concentrations were 10.64 +/- 1.68 mmol/l (SD). The mean concentrations of serum T4, T3, rT3, TBC and TSH were 116.35 +/- 10.68 nmol/l (SD), 2.81 +/- 0.33 nmol/l, 0.27 +/- 0.04 nmol/l, 1.087 +/- 0.031 and 3.16 +/- 0.9 mu IU/ml, respectively, which were not significantly different from values of 10 normal control subjects (mean age: 11.6 +/- 2 yr). It seems therefore that the thyroid hormones and TSH levels between well controlled diabetic and healthy subjects of pediatric age do not differ significantly.