Interleukin-6 levels are not increased in women with postpartum thyroid dysfunction.
Postpartum thyroid dysfunction (PPTD) is an autoimmune-mediated thyroid destructive process. Human interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine found to be increased in subacute thyroiditis, amiodarone-induced thyrotoxicosis, Graves' disease, and other thyroid destructive processes. We report serum IL-6 levels in PPTD in two independent studies. New York Study: In a previous prospective study we demonstrated that PPTD occurred in 25% (7/28) of women with type 1 diabetes mellitus. IL-6 determinations were made on the frozen serum samples of these 28 women during each trimester of their pregnancy and at 1.5, 3, 6, 9, and 12 months postpartum. IL-6 levels were found to be similar in women with PPTD compared with women without PPTD (mean 3.06+/-2.25 vs. 2.51+/-2.21 pg/mL; p = 0.15). No difference in IL-6 levels was found between the pre- and the postpartum periods (mean 2.67+/-1.82 vs. 3.04+/-2.44 pg/mL; p = 0.30) in all 28 women. Cardiff Study: Serum IL-6 levels were measured on frozen serum samples of 30 women with PPTD. IL-6 levels were below the detection limit (25 fmol/L or 0.65 pg/mL) in 94 (67%) of these samples. No significant difference in the mean serum IL-6 levels were found between any time points in the study. There was no correlation between serum IL-6 levels, thyroid peroxidase (TPO)- antibodies and serum thyrotropin (TSH) levels at any time point. IL-6 levels during pregnancy or postpartum were not found to be significantly different in women with PPTD compared with women without PPTD.
Ahmad
L
L
Department of Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York, New York 10029, USA.
Parkes
A
A
Lazarus
J
J
Bartalena
L
L
Martino
E
E
Diamond
E
E
Stagnaro-Green
A
A
D000328:Adult; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood*; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011644:Puerperal Disorders / Q000097:blood*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
D000906:Antibodies; D015850:Interleukin-6; D013972:Thyrotropin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase