FEATURES OF SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION ASSESSED BY HIGH SENSITIVITY C-REACTIVE PROTEIN LEVELS IN PATIENTS WITH AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS DEPENDING ON THYROID FUNCTIONAL STATUS AND VITAMIN D STATUS
Keywords:
To evaluate the level of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis and to analyze its relationship with 25(OH)D levels, thyroidAbstract
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroiditis, AIT) is a chronic autoimmune
disease based on impaired immunological tolerance to thyroid antigens with the
development of a chronic inflammatory process. Assessment of the systemic
inflammatory response is important for characterizing the activity of the pathological
process. High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) is an accessible marker that
allows detection of even a relatively low degree of systemic inflammatory activity.
Studying the relationship between hsCRP levels and thyroid functional status as well
as vitamin D status in patients with AIT is relevant for clarifying the role of systemic
inflammation in the course of the disease.
References
1.
In patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, high-sensitivity C-reactive
protein levels are statistically significantly elevated compared with controls
(0.97 ± 0.09 mg/L; 95% CI 0.79–1.15) in all functional groups, most markedly
in overt hypothyroidism (4.20±1.60 mg/L; 95% CI 0.85–7.55; 4.3-fold
increase).
2.
An inverse association was established between vitamin D status
and hsCRP concentration: the highest marker values were observed in 25(OH)D
deficiency (3.90±0.68 mg/L; 95% CI 2.54–5.26; 4.0-fold higher than controls),
with subsequent decreases in insufficiency (2.40±0.68 mg/L; 95% CI 1.02
3.78) and at normal vitamin D levels (2.05 ± 0.03 mg/L; 95% CI 1.99–2.11).
3.
Elevation of hsCRP even at normal 25(OH)D levels (2.05±0.03
mg/L; 95% CI 1.99–2.11) indicates the multifactorial nature of low-grade
systemic inflammation in AIT and supports the use of this parameter as an
additional marker of inflammatory activity in the disease.
