The correlation of the inflammatory biomarkers and the clinical activity score in thyroid associated orbitopathy

The Correlation of the Inflammatory Biomarkers and the Clinical Activity Score in Thyroid Associated Orbitopathy Objectives: Thyroid associated orbitopathy (TAO) is an inflammatory process of the orbit that its patogenesis has not been illuminated. Lipocalin-2 has not been investigated in TAO. In this study, we aimed to investigate inflammatory and oxidate pathways of this disease by measuring the laboratory parameters and associate them with the clinical activity and severity. Patients and methods: Our study group consisted of active TAO (n=12, mean age 50,42±11,7), inactive TAO patients (n=18, mean age 51,17±13,9), Graves' disease patients (n=22, mean age 43,64±10,8) and healthy controls (n=20, mean age 42,5±8,8). Active TAO patients were reevaluated after 3 months steroid treatment. Blood samples were taken for IL-1β, IL-8, PDGF-AA, PDGF-BB, TNF-α ve lipocalin-2 and tears samples were taken for 8-OHdG ve lipocalin-2 (LCN2). TAO clinical acitivity score, EUGOGO and VISA disease severity scores, TSH receptor antibody and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results were collected. Results:IL-1β levels were higher in active TAO patients compared with inactive TAO patients (p=0,029) and Graves' disease patients (p=0,012). IL-1β levels were higher in inactive TAO patients compared with Graves' disease patients (p=0,031). PDGF-BB levels were higher in active TAO patients compared with healthy controls (p=0,029).Tear LCN2 levels were higher in active TAO patients compared with Graves' disease patients (p=0,025). Conclusion: We found that higher serum IL-1β and tear LCN2 levels may reflect disease activity and severity in TAO.