Abstract: THE RELATIONSHIP OF ELEMENT CONTENTS IN ERYTHROCYTE WITH THYROID FUNCTIONZhu Li\ Zhao Zhiying\ Wang Zhenghua\ Li Yanfen(Department of Nuclear Medicine, PUMC Hospital, Beijing 100730)Liu Nianqing\ Liu Pingsheng\ Xu Qing\ Liu Peng\ Qian Qinfang(Institute of High Energy Physics, the Chinese Academy of Sciences， Beijing 100080)ABSTRACTThe serum thyroid hormones(T3，T4，TSH，FT3 and FT4) level and the elements K, Ca, Fe, Cu, Zn, Se and Rb in the erythrocyte in 76 cases is measured by radiometric assay in vitro (RIA and IRMA) and nuclear analytical technique (PIXE and INNA). According to thyroid hormones level, the cases are divided into four groups with hyperthyroid, normal, subhyperthyroid and hypothyroid. The difference and correlation of various parameters in four groups are compared by OnewayANOVA and Partial Correlation using SPSS/PC statistical package respectively. The results show that the content of Zn for hypothyroid group is significantly higher than hyperthyroid(P=0.007) and subhyperthyroid(P=0.046) groups, and the content of Zn for normal is lower than hypothyroid group but not significant difference (P=0.083),the other elements contents are no significant difference among four groups. The highly significant linear correlation between the contents of K, Zn and Cu in the erythrocyte and T3、T4 level ratio and TSH level is observed in hypothyroid and normal groups, the close correlation between the content of Se and serum T4 and TSH level is also observed in hyperthyroid and subhyperthyroid groups. These suggest that trace elements may be important for the synthesis, metabolism and biological function of thyroid hormones.Key words trace elements\ thyroid hormones\ erythrocyte\ thyroid function