Serum sestrin 2 levels in hashimoto's disease

Background: Hashimoto's disease is a disease in which the thyroid gland is destroyed by an autoimmune process. The expression of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) protein, which plays an important role in coordinating the balance between cell growth and autophagy, is high in the thyroid tissues of patients. Sestrins are an evolutionarily conserved and stress-inducible protein family that reduces oxidative stress and regulates the adenosine monophosphate-dependent protein kinase (AMPK)-mTOR signaling pathway. Sestrin 2 (SESN2), a member of this family, provides a protective effect by regulating oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress, autophagy, metabolism, and inflammation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the serum Sestrin2 levels of patients with Hashimoto's disease compared to healthy adults. Materials and Methods: This prospectively designed study included Hashimoto patients and healthy volunteers who applied to the hospital. The patient group was divided into two groups as euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroid groups. Thyroid autoantibodies, free T4 and TSH were studied from blood samples taken from the patient and control groups. The remaining sera from these samples were stored at -80 °C and then the serum was studied with the SESN2 ELISA kit for Sestrin 2. Results: The study included 110 patients and 64 healthy volunteers. No significant difference was found between the patient and control groups in terms of age and gender (p>0.05). Median SESN2 levels in the patient group [1.363 ng/ml (1.104 to 2.028)] were significantly lower than in the control group [1.834 ng/ml (1.343 to 2.640)] (p=0.002). No significant difference was found in SESN2 levels between the euthyroid and subclinical hypothyroid patient groups (p>0.05). Conclusion: In this study, SESN2 levels in the serum of Hashimoto's disease were found to be lower than in healthy adults, suggesting that SESN2 may play a role in the pathophysiology of Hashimoto's disease. These results indicate that further research is needed to better understand the effect of SESN2 regulation on the course and pathological processes of the disease in Hashimoto's disease. Key Words: Hashimoto, SESN2, Sestrin 2, Thyroiditis