Renal Cortical Perfusion Estimated in Color Doppler Dynamic Tissue Perfusion Measurement in Patients Treated with Levothyroxine Following Total Thyroidectomy for Resectable Thyroid Cancer Is Independently Associated with Free Thyroxine: A Single-Center Prospective Study

BACKGROUND: The thyroid state significantly influences renal function. However, a direct link between thyroid and kidney dysfunction has not been identified. Thyroid hormones affect cardiac output and vascular resistance, and thus can modify kidney perfusion. This prospective study aimed to test the association between renal cortical perfusion (RCP) estimated in color Doppler sonographic dynamic tissue perfusion measurement (DTPM) with thyroid hormones in 36 patients treated with levothyroxine following total thyroidectomy for resectable thyroid cancer. MATERIAL/METHODS: Blood tests, blood pressure monitoring, and DTPM of the renal cortex were performed. To exclude possible reading errors, the intrarater reliability of the ultrasound perfusion measurement method was estimated. RESULTS: The absolute difference between the 2 ultrasound RCP measurements was 5.2±4.4%. RCP correlated significantly with free thyroxine (FT(4)) (r=0.46; p=0.006) but not with triiodothyronine and thyroid-stimulating hormone. In the adjusted to age backward stepwise multivariable regression analysis model, including estimated glomerular filtration rate, mean arterial pressure, and FT(4), only FT(4) was independently associated with RCP (R(2)=0.21; p=0.006). CONCLUSIONS: Renal cortical perfusion is independently associated with free thyroxine, which can contribute to renal function abnormalities in the condition of impaired thyroid function. This small prospective study from a single center showed that the renal cortex’s color Doppler sonographic dynamic tissue perfusion measurement had very good intraobserver reproducibility.