背景: 皮質醇是一種壓力激素，而甲狀腺激素特別是T3、T4則是非甲狀腺疾病嚴重度良好指標，兩者皆為臨床常用檢查項目。本研究乃系列性腺觀察急性輻射曝後豬體對上述檢查之變化並觀察其與存活之相關性。
方法: 6隻無特殊病原蘭嶼豬共分2組，包括輻射曝露(無存活)組(n=4)接受1200 cGy 60Co加馬射線照射並在3週內死死; 另有對照組(n=2)作為比較。豬隻在照射前及之後特定時間抽血共7週。期間豬隻置於特殊房間飼養並注意其外觀變化。結果以個別曲線圖表示;必要統計時以Student t-test為主，並以平均±標準差表示，P<0.05視為有統計意義。
結果: 輻射曝露組T3、T4左下降趨勢，其中T3之變化可在照射早期出現，而T4則在照射後期死亡前，出現較明顯下降(均低於23 nmol/L, 平均下降49%)。皮質醇則在曝露組起伏較大在死亡前2天出現驟升現象(167±122 vs. 453±177 nmol/; P<0.01)，此一現象在對照組(195±34 nmol/L)並未出現。
結論: 系列觀察血中T3、T4及皮質醇質變化有急性輻射曝露嚴重性之預估，其中T3對疾病之存在，T4對嚴重度之變化較敏感，而皮質醇之驟升則與死亡有關。

Background: Both cortisol and thyroid hormones were sought to be stress hormones in critical illnesses which are readily measurable in a clinical setting. The investigation was to sequentially observe changes in these hormone levels in pigs after acute radiation exposure.
Methods: Six 27-week-old SPF miniature pigs were divided into 2 groups. The irradiated (non-survival)group (n=4) received 12 Gy of 60Co whole body γ-irradiation only and all died within 3 weeks after irradiation. The non-irradiated group C (n=2) served as control. Serial blood samples were drawn at the same time the day before and weekly after irradiation for 7 weeks.
Results: A trend of progressive decline of both serum T3 and T4 values after irradiation was found. A rapid drop of serum tri-iodothyronine (T3) values was found in the irradiated groups, which is reaching the nadir within 10 days post-irradiation. There was a profound decrease of T4 values in the irradiated group days before death (all <23 nmol/L, 49 mean decrease before death, control, 31-44 nmol/L). Changes of serum cortisol values were rather inconsistent in irradiated groups. There was a surge of serum cortisol value in the irradiated group within 2 days before death (167±122 vs. 453±177 nmol/L; P<0.01) that was not found in the control group (195±34 nmol/L).
Conclusion: Serial monitoring serum T3, T4 and cortisol values may be a feasible indicator of the severity of acute radiation events. Dropped T3 levels appeared to be a sensitive marker to reflect the presence of sickness while the degree of decrease of serum T4 levels may represent the severity of sickness. A surge of serum cortisol value may indicate a fatal outcome.