title: Mechanisms in endocrinology: the crosstalk between thyroid gland and adipose tissue: signal integration in health and disease.
abstract: Obesity and thyroid diseases are common disorders in the general population and they frequently occur in single individuals. Alongside a chance association, a direct relationship between 'thyroid and obesity' has been hypothesized. Thyroid hormone is an important determinant of energy expenditure and contributes to appetite regulation, while hormones and cytokines from the adipose tissue act on the CNS to inform on the quantity of energy stores. A continuous interaction between the thyroid hormone and regulatory mechanisms localized in adipose tissue and brain is important for human body weight control and maintenance of optimal energy balance. Whether obesity has a pathogenic role in thyroid disease remains largely a matter of investigation. This review highlights the complexity in the identification of thyroid hormone deficiency in obese patients. Regardless of the importance of treating subclinical and overt hypothyroidism, at present there is no evidence to recommend pharmacological correction of the isolated hyperthyrotropinemia often encountered in obese patients. While thyroid hormones are not indicated as anti-obesity drugs, preclinical studies suggest that thyromimetic drugs, by targeting selected receptors, might be useful in the treatment of obesity and dyslipidemia.
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Ferruccio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Santini
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Marzullo
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rotondi
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ceccarini
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Loredana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pagano
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Serena
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ippolito
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiovato
authors.affiliation: Endocrinology UnitObesity Center, University Hospital of Pisa, Pisa, ItalyDepartment of Translational MedicineUniversity of Piemonte Orientale, Novara, ItalyDivision of General MedicineI.R.C.C.S. Istituto Auxologico Italiano, Verbania, ItalyUnit of Internal Medicine and EndocrinologyFondazione Salvatore Maugeri I.R.C.C.S., University of Pavia, Pavia, ItalyDepartment of Clinical Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of Naples Federico II, Via S. Pansini 5, 80131 Naples, Italy bebiondi@unina.it bebiondi@libero.it.
authors.forename: Bernadette
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Biondi
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015551:Autoimmunity; D001835:Body Weight; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D025461:Feedback, Physiological; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism; D009656:North America / Q000453:epidemiology; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013963:Thyroid Hormones / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000209:etiology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D020738:Leptin; D013963:Thyroid Hormones; D013972:Thyrotropin