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Endocrine Abstracts (2017) 49 EP1289 | DOI: 10.1530/endoabs.49.EP1289

ECE2017 Eposter Presentations: Thyroid Thyroid (non-cancer) (260 abstracts)

Evaluation of interrelationships between thyroid function, autoimmunity, insulin resistance and lipid profile in Graves’ disease

António Carujo 1 , Celestino Neves 2 , João Sérgio Neves 2 , Sofia Castro Oliveira 2 , Oksana Sokhatska 3 , César Esteves 2 , Miguel Pereira 2 , José Luís Medina 1 , Luís Delgado 3 & Davide Carvalho 1,


1Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 2Endocrinology Service, São João Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 3Immunology Department, São João Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal; 4Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal.


Background: Thyroid hormones modulate the lipoprotein and glucose metabolisms. In hyperthyroidism, insulin resistance is a frequent finding.

Aim: To assess interrelationships between thyroid function, autoimmunity, lipid profile, glucose metabolism and other cardiovascular risk factors in patients with Graves’ disease.

Methods: We recorded free T3 (FT3), free T4 (FT4), TSH, TSH receptor antibodies (TRAB), parameters of the lipid profile, glucose metabolism [including insulin resistance marker Homeostasis Model Assessment for Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR)], C reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine in 126 patients with Graves’ disease in the first cycle of treatment with methimazole (93% females, mean age 44.8±15.2 years). Patients were divided in subgroups according to: TRAB (positive (n=57) or negative (n=69)) and thyroid function (normal (n=74), subclinical (n=29) or clinical hyperthyroidism (n=22)). Spearman correlations, T-tests and Mann–Whitney tests were performed for statistical analysis.

Results: Comparing TRAB- and TRAB+ groups, significantly lower apolipoprotein B (80.3(73.2–87.4) vs 89.7(83.5–95.8)mg/dl, P=0.047) and TSH (0.180(0.002–1.080) vs 1.020(0.235–2.055]μUI/ml, P<0.001) were found in the TRAB+ group. Comparing with the normal thyroid function group, patients in the clinical hyperthyroid group presented significantly lower apolipoprotein B (70.9(57.2–84.6) vs 89.7(83.7–95.8)mg/dl, P=0.007) and higher fasting glucose (96.0(83.0–109.0) vs 86.4(83.8–89.0)mg/dl, P=0.019), insulin (10.4(6.2–15.8) vs 7.5(4.8–9.7)μUI/ml, P=0.021), HOMA-IR (2.09(1.29–4.53) vs 1.55(0.95–2.13), P=0.023) and CRP (0.57(0.20–0.93) vs 0.20(0.07–0.38)mg/l, P=0.005). No significant differences were found between the subclinical hyperthyroid group and the remaining groups. There was a negative correlation between TSH and TRAB (r=−0.386, P<0.001). Apolipoprotein B was positively correlated with TSH (r=0.236, P=0.016), and negatively with TRAB (r=−0.211, P=0.030). Both FT3 and FT4 were positively correlated with fasting insulin (r=0.268, P=0.008 and r=0.226, P=0.025, respectively) and HOMA-IR (r=0.258, P=0.010 and r=0.259, P=0.010, respectively). FT4 was also positively correlated with fasting glucose (r=0.269, P=0.008).

Conclusion: In patients with Graves’ disease, the interrelationships between thyroid function, autoimmunity, insulin resistance and lipid profile may contribute to the increased cardiovascular risk.

Volume 49

19th European Congress of Endocrinology

Lisbon, Portugal
20 May 2017 - 23 May 2017

European Society of Endocrinology 

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