title: [Beta-2-microglobulin in hyperthyroidism].
abstract: The aims of the study were to clarify the cause of increased serum beta 2-microglobulin as a marker of thyroid hyperfunction. Serum beta 2-microglobulin was measured in 31 untreated hyperthyroid patients, all of them with normal renal function. Twenty-one subjects were affected by diffuse toxic goiter and 10 by toxic adenoma. Serum free thyroid hormones, TSH, anti-thyroglobulin and anti-microsomal antigen autoantibodies were determined, too. Thyroid hormone and creatinine levels did not differed between both sets of patients. beta 2-microglobulin was higher than normal in 90% of cases with diffuse toxic goiter and in 70% of those with toxic adenoma (p less than 0.05), but mean beta 2-microglobulin concentrations didn't differ between the two groups. No difference was found in beta 2-microglobulin levels in diffuse toxic goiter group according to the presence or absence of autoantibodies. beta 2-Microglobulin and thyroid hormones were not correlated in either diffuse toxic goiter and toxic adenoma groups. These data confirm the high prevalence of elevated beta 2-microglobulin concentrations in hyperthyroidism. As renal function was normal, this rise is due to beta 2-microglobulin overproduction. This increased production is a hormone mediated effect, even if lymphocyte activation may contribute in diffuse toxic goiter. beta 2-microglobulin is not correlated with thyroid hormone concentrations so that at present it isn't a useful marker of hyperthyroidism severity for practical purposes.
authors.affiliation: I Divisione Medica, Ospedale Regionale, Treviso.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Foscolo
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Roiter
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Menis
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Legovini
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Conte
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000097:blood; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D001613:beta 2-Microglobulin; D013972:Thyrotropin
vernacular_title: La beta 2-microglobulina nell'ipertiroidismo.