Correlation between, clinical, biochemical, color Doppler ultrasound thyroid parameters, and CXCL-10 in autoimmune thyroid diseases.
OBJECTIVE
the aim of present study is to determine possible contributions of INF-gamma inducible chemochine CXCL-10 in the thyroid color doppler ultrasound (CDU) parameters typical of autoimmune disorders.


METHODS
we studied a consecutive series of 25 patients with autoimmune thyroid disease and 10 healthy control subjects. All subjects underwent a thyroid CDU examination by the same investigator, who was unaware of the laboratory values at the time of the examination. Moreover, all subjects underwent a clinical evaluation, CXCL-10 and thyroid hormonal assessment.


RESULTS
CXCL-10 levels were significantly higher in patients with autoimmune diseases and as well as in subjects with an increased thyroid vascularization at CDU. Moreover, CXCL-10 levels were significantly (p<0.05) correlated with inferior thyroid arteria peak systolic velocity (ITA-PSV; r = 0.376) and with thyroid volume even after adjustment for confounding factors. No difference was observed between vascular thyroid pattern at CDU and thyroid circulating hormones while, ITA-PSV was significantly associated with TSH (Adj. r = -0.373; p<0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
our data seem to suggest that CXCL-10 could play an important role in the intra-thyroid angiogenesis modulation, explaining, at least partiality, CDU findings typical of thyroid autoimmune diseases. Moreover we confirmed previous reports considering ITA-PSV as the best CDU parameters in the differential diagnosis of thyroid autoimmune disorders.
Corona
Giovanni
G
Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Biagini
Carlo
C
Rotondi
Mario
M
Bonamano
Andrea
A
Cremonini
Nadia
N
Petrone
Luisa
L
Conforti
Barbara
B
Forti
Gianni
G
Serio
Mario
M
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10 / Q000097:blood*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006111:Graves Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009389:Neovascularization, Pathologic; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
D015415:Biomarkers; C114753:CXCL10 protein, human; D054357:Chemokine CXCL10; D013972:Thyrotropin