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Insulin sensitivity, plasma adiponectin and sICAM-1 concentrations in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: response to levothyroxine therapy

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Abstract

Subclinical hypothyroidism is associated with an increased risk of atherosclerosis. The aim of this study was to investigate the concentration of plasma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 and adiponectin in relation to insulin sensitivity in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism and to estimate if l-thyroxine treatment had an influence on these parameters. 13 women with subclinical hypothyroidism and 14 euthyroid controls were included in the study. A physical examination was conducted, hyperinsulinemic euglycemic clamp and plasma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1, adiponectin and lipids profiles were measured at baseline in both groups and in the group with subclinical hypothyroidism the above procedures were performed after l-thyroxine therapy (mean time of treatment 5.0 months) in stable euthyroid state. Insulin sensitivity and adiponectin were not different at baseline in the two studied groups. Plasma soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 concentration was significantly higher in the patients with subclinical hypothyroidism (P = 0.011). The comparison of lipids profiles revealed that only LDL-cholesterol concentration was higher (P = 0.011) in the group with subclinical hypothyroidism. After therapy, we observed an improvement of insulin sensitivity (P = 0.012) and a decrease of plasma glucose (P = 0.019) and soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (P = 0.01), whereas adiponectin concentration remained unchanged. We concluded that l-thyroxine treatment in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism might exert a beneficial effect by reducing cardiovascular risk factors.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by a grant form the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland No 3-50951.

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  1. Tadeusz Budlewski

    Present address: Department of Internal Medicine, Endocrinology and Diabetology, Central Clinical Hospital MSWiA, Warsaw, Poland

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Endocrinology, Diabetology and Internal Medicine, Medical University of Białystok, ul. M.C.Skłodowskiej 24a, 15-276, Białystok, Poland

    Irina Kowalska, Jacek Borawski, Agnieszka Nikołajuk, Elżbieta Otziomek, Maria Górska & Marek Strączkowski

  2. Department of Nuclear Medicine, Medical University of Bialystok, Bialystok, Poland

    Tadeusz Budlewski

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Correspondence to Irina Kowalska.

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Kowalska, I., Borawski, J., Nikołajuk, A. et al. Insulin sensitivity, plasma adiponectin and sICAM-1 concentrations in patients with subclinical hypothyroidism: response to levothyroxine therapy. Endocrine 40, 95–101 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12020-011-9446-5

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