Low Serum Fibroblast Growth Factor 21 Level and Its Altered Regulation by Thyroid Hormones in Patients with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis on Levothyroxine Substitution
Eszter Berta,
Sándor Halmi,
István Molnár,
Dávid Hutkai,
Sára Csiha,
Harjit Pal Bhattoa,
Hajnalka Lőrincz,
Sándor Somodi,
Mónika Katkó,
Mariann Harangi,
György Paragh,
Endre V. Nagy,
Miklós Bodor
Affiliations
Eszter Berta
Division of Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Sándor Halmi
Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
István Molnár
Doctoral School of Health Sciences, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Dávid Hutkai
Division of Nephrology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Sára Csiha
Department of Clinical Basics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Harjit Pal Bhattoa
Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Hajnalka Lőrincz
Division of Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Sándor Somodi
Division of Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Mónika Katkó
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Mariann Harangi
Division of Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
György Paragh
Division of Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Endre V. Nagy
Division of Endocrinology, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Miklós Bodor
Department of Clinical Basics, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
Background/Objectives: Fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a hormonal regulator of lipid and glucose metabolism exerting protection against atherosclerosis by multiple actions on the blood vessels, liver, and adipose tissues. We aimed to investigate serum FGF21 level and its relation to thyroid hormones and metabolic parameters among patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). Methods: Eighty patients with HT on levothyroxine treatment and eighty-two age- and BMI-matched adults without thyroid disease serving as controls were enrolled. Serum FGF21 concentrations were determined with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results: Median serum FGF21 level was significantly lower in HT patients compared with controls (74.2 (33.4–148.3) pg/mL vs. 131.9 (44.8–236.3) pg/mL; p = 0.03). We found a positive correlation between FGF21 and age, triglyceride, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in both groups, while thyroid stimulating hormone and C-reactive protein showed a positive correlation, and thyroxine had an inverse correlation with FGF21 only in control subjects. According to multiple regression analyses, thyroid status is the main predictor of FGF21 in healthy controls, while it is not a significant predictor of FGF21 among HT patients on levothyroxine supplementation therapy. Conclusions: Our results indicate that the physiological role of thyroid function in the regulation of FGF21 synthesis is impaired in HT patients, which may contribute to the metabolic alterations characteristic of HT patients.
