Abstract
Previous reports have indicated that thyroid gland activity, is depressed in the heat. Total thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) serum levels in 17 workers of the metal work shop at a plant near the Dead Sea and 8 workers in Beer Sheva, Israel were examined. The metal workshop of the plant near the Dead Sea is part of a large chemical plant. The one in Beer Sheva is part of a large construction company. Maintenance work, as well as metal work projects are performed in both workshops. During the work shifts, the workers of the Dead Sea plant were exposed to temperatures ranging from 30–36°C (May–Oct.) and 14–21°C (Dec.–Feb). In Beer Sheva the range was 25–32°C (June–Sept.) and 10– 17°C (Dec.–Feb.). Total T4 was measured by competitive protein binding and total T3 by radioimmunoassay in blood drawn before work (0700) in July and January. In summer. T4 was higher and T3 was lower for both groups than in winter. The observed summer T3 decrease may result from depressed extrathyroidal conversion of T4 to T3. We conclude that the regulation of energy metabolism in hot climates may be related to extrathyroidal conversion of T4 to T3.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
BLACKBURN, C. M., McCONAHEY, W. H., KEATING, Jr., F. R., ALBERT, A. (1954): Calorigenic effects of single intravenous doses of L-triiodothyronine and L-thyroxine in myxedernatous persons. J. Clin. Invest. 33: 819.
BRAVERMAN, L. E., INGBAR, S. H., STERLING, K. (1970): Conversion of thyroxine (T4) to triiodothyronine (T3) in athyreotic human subjects. J. Clin. Invest. 49: 855.
CARLSON, H. E., HERSHMAN, J. M. (1975): The hypothalmic-pituitary-thyroid axis. Med. Clin. of N. Am. 59: 1045.
COLLINS, K. J., WEINER, J. S. (1968): Endocrinological aspects of exposure to high environmental temperatures. Physiol. Rev. 48: 785.
GOLDBERG, I. J. L., RICHARDS, R., McFARLANE, H., HARLAND, W. A. (1964): Thyroid uptake of radioiodine in normal subjects in Jamaica. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 24: 1178.
HARLAND, W. A. (1964): Morphology of the thyroid gland in Jamaica. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 24: 580.
HARLAND, W. A., RICHARDS, R., GOLDBERG, I. J. L. (1971): Reduced thyroid activity in Jamaicans. J. Endocrinol. 49: 537.
HAVARD, C. W. H. (1974): Which test of thyroid function? Brit. Med. J. 1: 553.
HÉROUX, O. (1963): Patterns of morphological, physiological and endocrinological adjustments under different environmental conditions of cold. Fed. Proc. 22 (Part I): 789.
HOCH, F. L. (1974): Metabolic effects of thyroid hormone. In: Greer, M. A., Solomon, D. H. (eds) Handbook of Physiology, section 7 Endocrinology Vol. III, Thyroid, American Physiological Soc., Washington, D.C. p. 391.
HOFFENBERG, R. (1973): Triiodothyronine. Clin. Endocrinol. 2: 75.
HSIEH, A. C. L. (1962): The role of the thyroid in rats exposed to cold. J. Physiol. 161: 175.
INGBAR, S. H., BASS, D. E. (1957): The effect of prolonged exposure to cold on production and degradation of thyroid hormone in man. J. Endocrin. 15, ii (abstract).
KALLNER, G., KAGEDAL, B. LJUNGGREN, J.-G., TRYSELIUS, M. (1978): Clinical value of total T4 and T3 determinations in patients with suspect hyperthyroidism before and after correction of binding proteins. Acta. Med. Scand. 204: 369.
LEVITUS, Z., HASENFRANTZ, J., TOOR, M., MASSRY, S., RABINOWITCH, E. (1964):131I uptake studies under hot climate conditions. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 24: 1084.
LJUNGGREN, J.- G., KALLNER, G., TRYSELIUS, M. (1977): The effect of body temperature on thyroid hormone levels in patients with non-thyroidal illness. Acta. Med. Scand. 202: 459.
NAGATA, H., IZUMIYAMA, T., KAMATA, K., KONO, S., YUKIMURA, Y., TAWATA, M., AIZAWA, T., YAMADA, T. (1976): An increase of plasma triiodothyronine concentration in man in a cold environment. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 43: 1153.
NOMURA, S., PITTMAN, C. S., CHAMBERS, Jr., J. B., BUCK, M. W., SHIMIZU, T. (1975): Reduced peripheral conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine in patients with hepatic cirrhosis. J. Clin. Invest. 56: 643.
OPPENHEIMER, J. H., KOERNER, D., SCHWARTZ, H. L., SURKS, M. I. (1972): Specific nuclear triiodothyronine binding sites in rat liver and kidney. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 35: 330.
OSIBA, S. (1957): The seasonal variation of basal metabolism and activity of thyroid gland in man. Jap. J. Physiol. 7: 355.
PITTMAN, C. S., CHAMBERS, Jr., J. B., READ, Va. (1971): The extrathyroidal conversion rate of thyroxine to triiodothyronine in normal man. J. Clin. Invest. 50: 1187.
SAMUELOFF, S. (1974): Metabolic aspects of desert adaptation (man). In: Advances in Metabolic Disorders. Vol. 7 Levine R., Luft, R. (eds), Academic Press, New York, p. 123.
SCHADLOW, A. R., SURKS, M. I., SCHWARTZ, H. L., OPPENHEIMER, J. H. (1972): Specific triiodothyronine binding sites in rat anterior pituitary. Science (Wash. D.C.) 176: 1252.
SCHWARTZ, H. L., SURKS, M. I., OPPENHEIMER, J. H. (1971): Quantitation of extrathyroidal conversion of L-thyroxine to 3, 5, 3′ triiodo-L-thyronine in the rat. J. Clin. Invest. 50: 1124.
SMITH, R. E., HOIJER, D. J. (1962): Metabolism and cellular function in cold acclimation. Physiol. Rev. 42: 60.
SPAULDING, S. W., CHOPRA, I. J., SHERWIN, R. S., LYALL, S. (1976): Effect of caloric restriction and dietary composition on serum T3 and reverse-T3 in man. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 42: 197.
STERLING, K. S., BRENNER, M. A., NEWMAN, E. S. (1970): Conversion of thyroxine to triiodothyronine in normal human subjects. Science (Wash. D.C.) 169: 1099.
SURKS, M. I., SCHADLOW, A. R., STOCK, J. M., OPPENHEIMER, J. H. (1973): Determination of iodothyronine absorption and conversion of L-thyroxine (T4) to L-triiodothyronine (T3) using turnover rate techniques. J. Clin. Invest. 52: 805.
TURNER, C. D., BAGNARA, J. T. (1971): General Endocrinology 5th edition, W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia, p. 207.
WISHNIAK, A. (1977): Physiological and metabolic response of Beer Sheva residents working at high ambient temperature during summer and winter seasons. M. Sc. Thesis, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Isreal (In Hebrew).
YEO, P. P. B., LEWIS, M., EVERED, D. C. (1977): Radioimmunioassay of free thyroid hormone concentrations in the investigation of thyroid disease. Clin. Endocrinol. 6: 159.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This study was part of A. Gertner's Ph.D. Research Dissertation
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gertner, A., Israeli, R., Lev, A. et al. Thyroid hormones in chronic heat exposed men. Int J Biometeorol 27, 75–82 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186304
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02186304