STUDIES ON THYROID MEDICATION I. SOME CONDITIONS DETERMINING THE HAEMATOP OIETIC EFFECTS*

Abstract

Observations are reported on the effects of thyroid medication in varying dosages and for varying periods of time on the blood pictures of 82 adult male schizophrenic patients. The group averaged 30 years of age and had been in hospital for varying periods, averaging 3.3 years. As a group they were 16% underweight and had "basal" metabolic rates 16% below prediction. Some of the subjects were diagnosed initially as suffering from thyroid or other endocrine deficiencies whereas others were apparently not significantly abnormal in this regard. The initial red cell counts averaged slightly below "normal" and the leukocyte counts slightly above. Other cell counts were essentially normal. The average red cell counts of the entire group were significantly increased and the leukocyte counts slightly decreased following thyroid medication. In case of the leukocytes this effect was predominantly upon the polymorphonuclear cells, whereas the lymphocytes were relatively increased. Other white cells were not significantly affected. In case of 52 patients initially anemic the red cell counts at first increased, then decreased as the dosage was raised. There is, therefore, a median optimal dosage for this substance. A similar diphasic effect on the white cells was noted. The beneficial effect of a given dosage decreased with age. A more pronounced effect was obtained in patients in normal nutrition than in underweight or overweight subjects. The erythropoietic effect was in slight inverse ratio to the initial O2 consumption rate. The results are interpreted as being non-specific. They indicate that thyroid medication is of general utility for the treatment of secondary anemia and that age, nutritional status and basal metabolic rate, as well as dosage and duration of treatment, are significant factors in determining the degree of effect obtained.