Endocrine Abstracts

Aim: In this study, we aimed to detect the serum Ghr levels in hypo and hyperthyroid patients at the time of diagnosis and after treatment in comparison with an age-, and sex-matched control group.

Materials and methods: Thirty-two hypothyroid, 19 hyperthyroid and 30 control subjects were included in the study. Basal levels of serum free T3, free T4, TSH, anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO), anti Tg antibodies were measured by commercially available kits in all patients and control group hypothyroid patients were treated with levothyroxine, patients with Graves’ disease were treated with methimazole and propranolol, patients with thyroiditis were managed with propranolol only. Patients were followed for three months. Serum free thyroid hormone levels and TSH were measured at the first and the third months of the treatment. Serum levels of Ghr were measured at the time of diagnosis, at first and the third months in patients with thyroid dysfuntion. Serum IGF-1 levels were determined at the time of diagnosis and following 3 months of treatment.

Results: Serum Ghr levels in hypothyroid patients were lower than the control group at the time of diagnosis and decreased more following treatment. Serum Ghr levels in hyperthyroid patients were lower than the control group at the time of diagnosis, but did not normalize after euthyroidism was achieved. No statistically significant correlation was detected between Ghr and patient age, BMI, free T3 or TSH. There was not a significant correlation between Ghr and pretreatment free T4 levels in both patient groups and the control group, but Ghr was negatively correlated with posttreatment free T4 at the first and the third month in both patient groups.

Conclusion: Ghr is affected in thyroid dysfunction which may be directly due to the effects of free thyroid hormones or due to the secondary weight changes or both. But further studies are warranted to determine the net effect of thyroid hormones on Ghr.