EFFECT OF THE SERUM OF PATIENTS WITH GRAVES’ DISEASE, MYXEDEMA AND ACROMEGALY UPON THE OXYGEN CONSUMPTION (QO2) OF GUINEA PIG THYROID

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Abstract
The QO2 of thyroid tissue of normal guinea pigs was detd. by the method of Warburg. The media used were sera from normal persons as control, and from patients with various endocrine disorders as test material. The serum of 5 acromegalics produced a rise in the QO2 of guinea pig thyroid. The serum of 4 patients with classic Graves'' disease caused a depression of QO2. That of one caused a 10% elevation. The serum of 2 of these patients retested after subtotal thyroidectomy caused very slight elevations in QO2. The serum of 4 patients (one tested twice) of Graves'' disease with dissociated ophthalmopathy caused elevation in QO2 quite analogous to that in acromegaly. In all of 4 cases of untreated primary myxedema there was an elevation of QO2 and in treated myxedema there was slight elevation of QO2 in 2 and reduction in 2 others. In 2 cases of hypopituitarism the QO2 was within the normal range of expected variation for the method.