Abstract:

Nonthyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS) is common in patients undergoing cardiac surgery which is associated with the prognosis of critically ill patients, and thyroid hormone replacement therapy is considered unnecessary for most patients without cardiac dysfunction. But heart transplantation has its particularity. The heart transplantation donors are come from donation after brain death, the level of thyroid hormone of donors degrades rapidly after brain death. Most of the heart transplantation recipients are patients with end-stage heart failure, who are more likely to be presented with NTIS and other thyroid dysfunction before transplantation. There remains debate about the potential benefits of thyroid hormone supplementation when considered heart transplantation. Nonthyroidal illness syndrome related to heart transplantation and thyroid hormone replacement therapy is reviewed in this paper.

Key words: Heart transplantation, Thyroid hormone, Nonthyroidal illness syndrome