Artery Research (Dec 2009)

P5.03 ACUTE VASCULAR EFFECTS OF RECOMBINANT HUMAN TSH IN YOUNG SUBJECTS FROM CHERNOBYL AREA FOLLOWED-UP FOR PREVIOUS DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER

  • L. Ghiadoni,
  • R.M. Bruno,
  • F. Faita,
  • E. Bianchini,
  • A.I. Corciu,
  • E. Daghini,
  • L. Landini,
  • F. Stea,
  • P. Fallahi,
  • E. Picano,
  • A. Antonelli

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.artres.2009.10.058
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 3, no. 4

Abstract

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Objectives: To evaluate the effect of recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) on endothelial function, aortic and carotid stiffness, and wave reflection in a population living in the Chernobyl area at the time of 1986 blast, treated with thyroidectomy for thyroid cancer. Methods: 23 subjects (age 26±3 years, 10 men) underwent evaluations at baseline and after rhTSH administration, 0.9mg daily on 2 consecutive days. A real time contour tracking algorithm was applied to B-mode scans for assessing brachial artery endothelium-dependent (flow-mediated dilation, FMD), and -independent dilation (glycerol trinitrate, GTN, 25 μg sublingual) and carotid stiffness (CS) by Bramwell-Hill equation. Carotid blood pressure (BP) waveform, augmentation index (AIx), and carotid-femoral PWV were assessed by applanation tonometry. Results: RhTSH decreased diastolic BP (from 79±11 to 72±9 mmHg, p<0.01), but not systolic BP, increasing pulse pressure (from 38±7 to 43±10 mmHg, p<0.01). FMD tended to decrease (from 9.0±4.4 to 6.9±2.2%, p=0.09), while GTN was unchanged (from 10.5±4.0 to 10.6±3.4%, p=ns). Aortic PVW tended to decrease (from 5.78±1.32 to 5.44±1.02m/s, p=0.057); carotid stiffness (from 5.07±0.73 to 5.20±0.82m/s, p=ns) and AIx (from −5.5±11.0 to −8.7±16.7, p=ns) were unchanged. Augmentation pressure (AP) decreased (from −2.7±4.7 to −5.8±9.6 mmHg, p<0.05), while time to wave reflection was unaffected (from 164±22 to 167±21 ms, p=ns). Conclusions: In a population of environmental radiation-exposed thyroidectomized young patients, rhTSH influences magnitude of wave reflection, possibly through microcirculatory vasodilation, as suggested by diastolic BP and AP decrease. A reduction of aortic stiffness and an impairment of endothelial function was also observed.