Thyroid Function in Patients with COVID-19: a Retrospective Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess whether COVID-19 affects thyroid function. The effect of COVID-19, which has involved the whole world in the last two years, on thyroid function is currently unknown. With the onset of the COVID-19 epidemic, 69,000 patients who presented to our hospital in the last 18 months and had the COVID-19 test were screened. Thyroid function tests of 500 patients with positive COVID-19 test and 1133 patients with negative COVID-19 test were compared. Hormone levels were expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The levels recorded in COVID-19 positive patients (thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) 2.54±14.54 μIU/mL, free triiodothyronine (fT3) 0.84±1.49 pg/mL, free thyroxine (fT4) 0.99±0.42 ng/dL, antithyroid peroxidase antibody (anti TPO) 140.04±276.55 IU/mL, and antithyroglobulin antibody (anti TG) 16.31±22.99 IU/mL) were compared with those measured in COVID-19 negative patients (TSH 1.90±8.22 μIU/mL, fT3 0.78±1.60 pg/mL, fT4 0.99±0.42 ng/dL, anti TPO 122.55±263.39 IU/mL, and anti TG 56.25±185.64 IU/mL). There was no significant difference between COVID-19 positive patients and COVID-19 negative cases in terms of thyroid function (TSH, p=0.66; fT3, p=0.24; fT4, p=0.93; anti TPO, p=0.52; and anti TG, p=0.39). For now, it may be some consolation for us that the coronavirus disease, which affects almost all body systems, does not seem to affect thyroid function.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Thyroid-stimulating hormone (thyrotropin)
• Free triiodothyronine
• Free thyroxine
• Antithyroid peroxidase
• Antithyroglobulin