title: Plasmatic endothelin-1 levels in hyperthyroid patients before and after antithyroid therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Endothelin-1 (ET-1) is a powerful vasoconstrictor peptide produced by endothelial cells in many vascular diseases probably as a response to vessel damage. In hyperthyroidism as in other endocrinological diseases elevated ET-1 plasma levels have been found.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of antithyroid therapy on ET-1 plasmatic levels was evaluated by measuring ET-1 plasma levels before and 2 and 6 months after treatment with methimazole in 14 patients affected by hyperthyroidism.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The hyperthyroid patients had significantly higher ET-1 levels than the controls (18.85 +/- 5.7 vs 10.9 +/- 2.1 pg/ml), while after treatment no difference was found. The ET-1 plasma levels of hyperthyroid patients correlated closely with the raised thyroid metabolic activity independently of its cause. It is possible that the increased ET-1 levels in hyperthyroid patients are the expression of blood vessel damage caused by high thyroid hormone levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Moreover the results of this study could suggest that, in future, ET-1 plasmatic levels might be considered as a functional thyroid index in hyperthyroid diseases.
authors.affiliation: Division of Internal Medicine, Ciriè Hospital, Via Battitore-10073 Ciriè, TO.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cesareo
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tarabuso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Di Benedetto
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lacerna
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Reda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D019332:Endothelin-1