Abnormal Thyroid Function Is Associated With Lymphopenia in Bacterial Sepsis and COVID-19

ABSTRACT

Background: Lymphopenia is a key feature of immune dysfunction in bacterial sepsis and COVID-19 patients and is associated with poor clinical outcomes, but the cause is largely unknown. These severely ill patients may also present with thyroid function abnormalities, so-called non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS), and several studies have suggested that TSH, thyroxin (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) play a crucial role in the homeostatic regulation and function of lymphocyte populations.