Thyroid hormone transporter defects.

In in vitro experiments, active transport of thyroid hormones had been repeatedly demonstrated. The membrane transporters for thyroid hormones which have been identified include the organic anion transporting polypeptide, heterodimeric amino acid transporters and the monocarboxylate transporters (MCT) which are the focus of this chapter. The gene encoding MCT8 which was identified as a specific thyroid hormone transporter is located on chromosome Xq13.2. The expression pattern of MCT8 indicates that MCT8 plays an important role in the development of the central nervous system by transporting thyroid hormone into neurons as its main target cells. Mutational analysis of the MCT8 gene revealed mutations or deletions in the MCT8 gene in unrelated male patients with severe psychomotor retardation and biochemical findings consistent with thyroid hormone resistance. Indeed, thyroid function tests in patients with MCT8 mutations demonstrated marked elevations of serum T3 (in the thyrotoxic range), a significant decrease in serum T4 or fT4 and normal to elevated TSH levels.