Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Ongoing scientific research indicates that there is a dangerous link between eating foods that contain gluten and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). Gluten can be an irritant to HT by creating inflammation in the thyroid gland. Selenium, an important oligoelement, is a component of the antioxidant system. Over the last decade, it has been ever more frequently discussed in the context of thyroid disorders. The purpose of this study was to highlight the positive response of Hashimoto’s patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) treated with Se and gluten-free diet in restoring a normal thyroid function.

Methods: A total of 98 drug-naive women (mean age 39.60 ± 7.36 years) with HT having Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) levels between 4 and 8 µIU/ml and normal free thyroxine (fT4) and free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels, were randomized into 2 groups: group A (n = 50) receiving 200  µg selenium in the form of L-selenomethionine orally and gluten-free diet for 6 months and group B (n = 48) selenium alone without any dietary treatment. Serum titers of thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb), as well TSH, FT4, FT3 were measured at the beginning of the study and 6 months later.

Results: At the end of the study, euthyroidism was restored in 37/50 (74%) of group A participants, and in 28/48 (58.3%) of group B participants. TSH, TPOAb and TgAb levels were significantly reduced in both group after six months of treatment. Serum TPOAb titer in group A had a more significant decrease (by 49%) than those in group B (by 34%).

Conclusions: The results suggest that the gluten-free diet with selenium supplementation is more effective in reducing of TSH, TPOAb and TgAb levels by comparing selenium supplementation alone in Hashimoto’s women with SH.