Endocrine Abstracts

Basedow–Graves’ disease is an autoimmune disorder and the most frequent cause of hyperthyroidism.Increased thyroid hormone concentrations change cellular oxidative metabolism, determining the formation of reactive oxygen species.

Objectives: To study oxidant–antioxidant status and the effect of antithyroid drugs on oxidative stress parameters in Basedow–Graves’ disease patients.

Materials and methods: The study was carried out in a group of 23 recently diagnosed, untreated patients with Basedow–Graves’ disease. Patients were divided into two groups: control group including 12 women with normal thyroid hormone status without other associated diseases, and a group of 23 patients with newly diagnosed Basedow disease who received antithyroid drugs (AD) and β-blockers for 6 weeks. Malondialdehyde (MDA), protein carbonyls (PC) and reduced glutathion (GSH) were determined from the serum, twice, before the treatment and after 6 weeks of therapy.

Results: The values of MDA, the marker of lipid peroxidation, in patients with Basedow disease at onset were significantly increased compared to those of healthy subjects (P<0.0001). After AD and β-blockers administration, MDA values increased insignificantly compared to the group of untreated patients (P=0.07). PC levels increased insignificantly in untreated patients with Basedow disease (P=0.36) and they also increased without statistical significance after the administration of AD (P=0.38). Reduced GSH significantly increased in patients with Basedow disease compared to the control group (P<0.001). In patients treated with AD and β-blockers, GSH values increased significantly.

Patients treated with Thiamazol and Metoprolol compared to control patients had significantly increased FT₄ values, decreased TSH values, and significantly increased values of the studied parameters.

Conclusion: The significant increase in MDA, the marker of lipid peroxidation, the increasing tendency of PC and the significant increase of GSH confirm the presence of oxidative stress in patients with hyperthyroidism due to Basedow–Graves’ disease. Short-term Thiamazol treatment does not significantly influence the oxidant/antioxidant system parameters in patients with Basedow disease.