Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The issue of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) today is topical for modern endocrinology both due to the relatively high incidence among the population and the large number of organs and systems involved in the pathological process as a result of loss of the thyroid gland hormone-producing function and a decrease in thyroid hormone levels in the blood.

Aim: The aim of the research is to study the state of the processes of lipid peroxidation and enzymes of the antioxidant protection system in autoimmune thyroiditis with nodular forms.

Materials and methods: We examined 36 patients (men and women, 25–40 years old) with nodular forms of chronic autoimmune thyroiditis with a past history of more than 5 years. Patients were divided into 2 groups. The first group included patients with uncompensated hypothyroidism (n=17), the second group included patients who were in euthyroid state (n=19). The control group consisted of patients with euthyroid goiter without an autoimmune component (n=10). The study of peroxidation processes (LPO) was carried out by determining the induced chemiluminescence of blood plasma.

Results: Showed that in patients with AIT with protracted course and complicated hypothyroidism, an increase MDA and AHP in blood levels is observed in both the first and second group of patients. In the first group of patients, there was a significant increase in the level of MDA by 3.1 times, AHG – 2.8 times. In patients with hypothyroidism who are in the euthyroid state, an increase in the level of MDA by 1.5 times and AHP by 1.2 times was found respectively compared with the results of the control group. The study of indicators of the antioxidant protection system shows that in patients of the first group there is a decrease in SOD by 43%, CT –57%. In patients of the second group, these indicators decreased by 27% and 19% respectively.

Conclusion: Thus, in patients with nodular forms of chronic AIT, with and without hypothyroidism, an increase in free radical activity and a decrease in the local antioxidant protection system are observed, in the development and progression of which the key role is played by activation of the cellular immunity with a predominant production of cytokines, including interleukin-2, which mediate the cytotoxic effect of immunocompetent cells on follicular cells and, subsequently, the development of thyroid hypofunction.