Prevalence and Clinical Significance of Low T3 Syndrome in Non-Dialysis Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease

BACKGROUND There are few data on the prevalence of low T3 (triiodothyronine) syndrome in patients with non-dialysis chronic kidney disease (CKD) and it is unclear whether low T3 can be used to predict the progression of CKD. MATERIAL AND METHODS We retrospectively studied 279 patients who had been definitively diagnosed with CKD, without needing maintenance dialysis. Thyroid function was analyzed in all enrolled subjects and the incidence of thyroid dysfunction (low T3 syndrome, low T4 syndrome, and subclinical hypothyroidism) in patients at different stages of CKD was determined. RESULTS Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of CKD patients was estimated as follows: 145 subjects (52%) had GFR