The relationship between serum fetuin-a and osteoprotegerine levels and atherosclerosis in patient with hashimoto thyroiditis

Hashimoto thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease. Atherosclerosis is the most common cause of death in the world and causes severe morbidity. Atherosclerosis is a pathological condition characterized by local accumulation of substances such as lipids, carbohydrates, fibrous tissue and calcium in the subintima layer of arteries. It is thought that classical risk factors such as increased LDL cholesterol absorption, endothelial dsyfunction, hypercoagulability, diastolic hypertension may increase the risk of atherosclerosis in hypothyroid patients on the other hand, the mechanism of the increase in risk has not been fully understood yet. In recent years new risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases have been identified. These new risk factors are; fetuin-a, Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF), Fibroblast Growth Factor-23 (FGF-23) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). In present study, we aimed to determine the relation of Hashimoto Thyroiditis with atherosclerosis by measuring serum fetuin-A, osteoprotegerin, VEGF, FGF-23, IL-6 levels, CIMT and brachial artery dilatation in patients with or without hashimoto thyroiditis. The median age of the control group was 30.42 9.6 and patient group was 31.85 7.13. In both groups 10 males and 30 females were present. FMD-after measurements were significantly higher in patients and control groups than FMD-before measurements and it was more pronounced in the control group (p=0,001, p=0,001). CIMT was statistically significantly higher in Hashimoto patient than control group (p=0,033). There was no statistically significant difference between the patient and control groups in terms of the levels of fetuin-α (p = 0,37), osteoprotegerine (p = 0,33), FGF-23 (p = 0.35) and IL-6 (p=0.69). VEGF was statistically significant difference (p=0,024). Fetuin-a, osteoprotegerine, FGF-23 and interleukin-6 levels in Hashimoto patients were not different from healthy populations.. Therefore, although it is not possible to correlate these measured parameters with atherosclerosis, the available data are still not sufficient and there is a need for larger studies.