Endocrine Abstracts

Women with Turner syndrome (TS) more frequently develop cardiovascular disease. Abnormal lipid metabolism is a well known risk factor for ischemic heart disease. Adiponectin as well as cytokines are useful tool in evaluation the fat tissue metabolism.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between adiponectin, TNF-alpha, IL-6 and lipids in patients with TS.

Patients and method: The study group consisted of 87 girls with TS without clinical signs of thyroid dysfunction or diabetes mellitus. The mean age was 14.05±6.06 (2–25) years. X chromosome monosomy was found in 59%, mosaicism in 30.12%, structural aberration in the rest of the patients. Most of them (54%) received GH treatment, 30% finished treatment prior to the study, 16% didn’t start it yet. Height, weight, BMI, BMISDS, adiponectin, TNF-alpha, IL-6, cholesterol, TG, HDL, LDL, Lp(a), insulin, HBA₁c, IGF₁, IGFBP₃ were determined.

Results: Thyroid hormones values were within normal ranges in all the patients. Mean concentration of IL-6 was 8.44±14.07 pg/ml, TNF-alpha was 4.92±3.59 pg/ml, adiponectin was 14783.02±7558.25 mg/ml. There was correlation between IL6 and TNF-alpha (r=0.33), but not other examined parameters. Adiponectin correlated inversely with BMISDS (r=−0.38) and HBA₁c (r=−0.39). Several correlation was found between: insulin and BMISDS (r=0.43), insulin and TG (r=0.51), insulin and IGF₁ (r=0.63), insulin and IGFBP₃ (r=0.57).

We compared the group of GH treated patients with girls who finished GH therapy or didn’t start it yet. GH treated patients had lower level of IL6 (7.36 vs 9.16 pg/ml) and higher level of adiponectin (15587.27 vs 14241.69 ng/ml). The difference however was not statistically important.

Conclusion: GH therapy seems to reduce IL6 level and probably augment adiponectin concentration and thus can be protective for ischemic heart disease.