Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but not treatment of hypothyroidism, is associated with altered TGF-beta1 levels.
BACKGROUND
Although the role of cytokines in the development of Hashimoto's thyroiditis has already been established, its pathogenesis has not yet been clearly elucidated. The aim of our study was to investigate serum transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) levels in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis as well as the effect of achieving euthyroidism by levothyroxine replacement on TGF-beta1 levels.


METHODS
Twenty nine female, newly diagnosed hypothyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients (16 overt, 13 subclinical hypothyroid) and 25 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were enrolled in the study.


RESULTS
Serum TGF-beta1 levels were lower in the Hashimoto's thyroiditis group when compared with control cases. Although significant differences were noted in lipid levels and in anthropometric measurements following levothyroxine replacement, serum TGF-beta1 levels remained unchanged.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that altered TGF-beta1 levels are associated with the presence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis, not with the treatment of thyroid dysfunction. Autoimmunity may have been triggered as a result of decreased immunosuppressive effect induced by depressed TGF-beta1 levels in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Akinci
Baris
B
Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Dokuz Eylul University Medical School, Izmir, Turkey. baris.akinci@deu.edu.tr
Comlekci
Abdurrahman
A
Yener
Serkan
S
Bayraktar
Firat
F
Demir
Tevfik
T
Ozcan
Mehmet Ali
MA
Yuksel
Faize
F
Yesil
Sena
S
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000097:blood*
D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D013974:Thyroxine