Thyroid hormones which causes the thyroid to enlarge (the resulting medical condition is called "endemic colloid goitre"; see goitre). This has the effect of increasing the thyroid's ability to trap more iodide, compensating for the iodine deficiency and allowing it to produce adequate amounts of thyroid hormone. Most of the thyroid hormone circulating in the blood is bound to "transport protein"s. Only a very small fraction of the circulating hormone is free (unbound) and biologically active, hence measuring concentrations of free thyroid hormones is of great diagnostic value. When thyroid hormone is bound, it is not active, so the amount of free
Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is an inherited disorder that causes lactic acid to accumulate in the blood. High levels of these substances can damage the body's organs and tissues, particularly in the nervous system. Pyruvate carboxylase deficiency is a rare condition, with an estimated incidence of 1 in 250,000 births worldwide. Type A of the disease appears to be much more common in some Algonkian Indian tribes in eastern Canada, while the type B disease is more present in European populations. Mutations in the "PC" gene cause pyruvate carboxylase deficiency. The "PC" gene provides instructions for making an