Serum hepatocyte growth factor is increased in Hashimoto's thyroiditis whether or not it is associated with nodular goiter as compared with healthy non-goitrous individuals.
BACKGROUND
Some growth factors and cytokines are known to cooperate with TSH in thyroid nodular growth, but few data are available on their circulating levels in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate in HT patients whether thyroid nodules are associated with variations in serum levels of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6).


METHODS
Serum levels of HGF and IL-6 were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 176 euthyroid subjects, subdivided into 4 groups: A) HT patients with nodular goiter (no.=42); B) non-goitrous HT patients (no.=36); C) non-HT patients with nodular goiter (no.=48), and D) healthy subjects without thyroid disease (no.=50).


RESULTS
The highest concentrations of serumHGF were found in patients with nodular goiter, irrespective of the presence of associated HT (groups A and C). Nevertheless, in group A serum HGF levels were significantly higher than in group C (860.8+/-333.6 pg/ml vs 691.5+/-156 pg/ml, p<0.01). Moreover, though serum HGF levels in group B (578.3+/-217 pg/ml) were lower than in group A, they were significantly higher than in healthy controls (group D, 512.7+/-170.4 pg/ml, p<0.001). Serum IL-6 levels were similar in the two HT groups (A and B), and increased with respect to groups C and D.


CONCLUSIONS
Serum HGF is increased in HT, especially associated to thyroid nodules, as compared with healthy non-goitrous individuals.
Ruggeri
R M
RM
Unit of Endocrinology, Clinical-Experimental Department of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Messina, Messina, Italy. rmruggeri@unime.it
Sciacchitano
S
S
Vitale
A
A
Cardelli
P
P
Galletti
M
M
Vitarelli
E
E
Barresi
G
G
Benvenga
S
S
Trimarchi
F
F
Trovato
M
M
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006044:Goiter, Nodular / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D050031:Hashimoto Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications*; D006262:Health; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000097:blood*; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor