Triiodothyronine Uptake by Erythrocytes in Mongolism

Abstract

The chromosomal anomaly of mongolism (usually trisomy) suggests the likelihood of enzymatic anomalies. In a series of enzymatic studies in mongolism a tendency to high O2 uptake and low phosphorylation rate in the red blood cells was encountered. In the present study a consistently high triiodothyronine uptake of red blood cells was found, which throws light on both the high respiratory rate and the uncoupling of phosphorylation. The range of high thyroid hormone uptake values was almost completely outside the range of normal controls, though a few adult psychiatric cases were found with elevated values.