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Relationship between Free Thyroxine and Islet Beta-cell Function in Euthyroid Subjects

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Summary

Thyroid hormones have a specific effect on glucose-induced insulin secretion from the pancreas. We aimed to investigate the association between euthyroid hormones and islet beta-cell function in general population and non-treated type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. A total of 5089 euthyroid participants (including 4601 general population and 488 non-treated T2DM patients) were identified from a cross-sectional survey on the prevalence of metabolic diseases and risk factors in East China from February 2014 to June 2016. Anthropometric indices, biochemical parameters, and thyroid hormones were measured. Compared with general population, non-treated T2DM patients exhibited higher total thyroxine (TT4) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels but lower ratio of free triiodothyronine (T3):T4 (P<0.01). HOMA-β had prominently negative correlation with FT4 and positive relationship with free T3:T4 in both groups even after adjusting for age, body mass index (BMI) and smoking. When analyzed by quartiles of FT4 or free T3:T4, there were significantly decreased trend of HOMA-β going with the higher FT4 and lower free T3:T4 in both groups. Linear regression analysis showed that FT4 but not FT3 and free T3:T4 was negatively associated with HOMA-β no matter in general population or T2DM patients, which was independent of age, BMI, smoking, hypertension and lipid profiles. FT4 is independently and negatively associated with islet beta-cell function in euthyroid subjects. Thyroid hormone even in reference range could play an important role in the function of pancreatic islets.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank all team members and participants from Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine (Shanghai, China), Shangyu People’s Hospital (Zhejiang, China), Fengcheng Hospital (Shanghai, China), the Third Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University (Jiangxi, China), Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital The Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School (Jiangsu, China), the First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University (Anhui, China) in the SPECT-China study 2014–2016.

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  1. The authors contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute and Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200011, China

    Qing Li, Meng Lu, Ning-jian Wang, Yi Chen, Ying-chao Chen, Bing Han, Qin Li, Fang-zhen Xia, Bo-ren Jiang, Hua-ling Zhai, Dong-ping Lin & Ying-li Lu

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  1. Qing Li
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Correspondence to Dong-ping Lin or Ying-li Lu.

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Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest or financial interests associated with this manuscript.

This study was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81270885, No. 81570726 and No. 81600609), Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (2014), the Ministry of Science and Technology in China (No. 2012CB524906), and the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality (No. 14495810700 and No. 16410723200), Three-year Action Plan for Public Health System Construction in Shanghai by Shanghai Municipal Commission of Health and Family Planning (2015–2017), Clinical Potential Subject Construction of Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (2014), Shanghai Municipal Health Bureau of China (No. 20124262), and Seed Founding of Shanghai Ninth People’s Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine (No. JYZZ032).

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Li, Q., Lu, M., Wang, Nj. et al. Relationship between Free Thyroxine and Islet Beta-cell Function in Euthyroid Subjects. CURR MED SCI 40, 69–77 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-020-2148-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11596-020-2148-6

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