So T4 converts to T3 in the liver, kidneys, gut and elsewhere? (gene study question)

[Totoro]

So that study said that some people have 1 or 2 faulty genes in the liver that deals with converting T4 to T3. How many other places converts T4 to T3? I'm wondering how many other places in the human body may have faulty genes??

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK]

Lots of places - but whether any of that T3 can get out of the cells in which it is converted and then transported elsewhere is another issue! For example, hair follicles, which do some conversion but I suspect only a tiny amount and that what is produced is used locally.

The Wiki article does say something about the three enzymes, D1, D2 and D3:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iodot...

Rod

[Totoro in reply to helvella]

I'm gonna shampoo my hair with extra tenderness. Be nice to the hair follicles and maybe they will be nice to me

I never there so many places they got converted and I'll have to learn about the transporting system too.

Thanks x

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Totoro]

Interesting that some dandruff shampoo contains selenium compounds...

(It is well-known that selenium can have an anti-fungal effect but I wonder if it has any effect on deiodinase production - after all, all three are seleno-proteins.)

Rod

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to Totoro]

Maybe you can fall asleep reading this:

thyroidmanager.org/chapter/...

Especially Figure 2.

[frogandprincess in reply to helvella]

I laughed about this article! It's obviously for medical students, because I see on my downloaded page 17 of 35 (I saved as a Word document) just before the heading SULFATION, there is reference to Sonic hedgehog (Shh) - obviously to check whether the student actually read through the whole thing and spotted the deliberate mistake.

Mind you, if you have time, it is worth working through all that jargon, because there is reference to what happens at the cellular level, which is where the DNA mess-ups happen and where the enzymes and mitochondria are involved in the whole process of inflammation and where, I am coming to think, a long process of detoxification and renourishment of our tissues needs to start in order to address the root issues in this very complex hormonal issue that includes the thyroid epidemic we now have going on.

It's years since this was posted up, so I will carry on researching and post up anything that's more readable if I can.

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to frogandprincess]

Sonic hedgehog is the very real name of a gene and the protein it codes for!

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sonic...

Not a mistake at all. Neither deliberate nor accidental.

Rod

[roslin]

also see

nahypothyroidism.org/deiodi...

Roslinxx

[Totoro in reply to roslin]

Thanks, that seems a really thorough explanation. I'll read it in stages

[frogandprincess in reply to roslin]

Yes, this reflects the more recent thinking among Naturopaths who are treating matters such as strengthening the liver and kidneys, putting in optimum nutrition before starting a full liver cleanse and complete body detox (most of us have pretty nasty reactions to detox, so it's worth having a naturopath shepherd you through the first stages). We are all so bombarded with chemicals and junk food that our lifestyle has depleted our vital enzymes and minerals, the mitochondria in every cell can't do their job, and our attempts to blast the problems by taking too much of, say, Lugol's oil, only stave off our recovery until we have cleaned up our bodies and enabled them to absorb what they need to for zinging health.

I am at the start of dealing with my hypothyroidism. I have weaned myself off a cocktail of pharmacy chemicals and also my Levothyroxine. I have started kelp tablets and am about to start on Lugol's, very slowly. Before I get too far along with that I am going to have a NHS blood test so I can see for myself what my TSH levels are at this baseline. It took me eight months to gradually come off the prescriptions, but already without them I am feeling clearer headed and have more energy.

[win_4ever]

I find your post very interesting because I hate the prescription drugs too. I have tried stopping levo but got frightened that I would mess up my thyroid altogether and went back on it again. How did you do it gradually I take 75mcg. Must say though I recently gave up drinking tea when I heard about it contains fluoride and aluminium and my head has been so much clearer.