Skip to main content

T3 Conversion

Meaning

T3 conversion is the crucial metabolic and enzymatic process by which the less active prohormone, thyroxine (T4), is chemically transformed into the biologically potent triiodothyronine (T3) within peripheral body tissues, primarily the liver, kidney, and skeletal muscle. This conversion, which is catalyzed by a family of deiodinase enzymes, is fundamentally essential because T3 is the active form of thyroid hormone that binds to nuclear receptors and regulates gene expression and cellular metabolism. Impairment in this peripheral conversion pathway is a frequent, unrecognized cause of persistent hypothyroid symptoms despite seemingly adequate T4 replacement therapy.