[The role of systemic immune activation in the development of thyroid dysfunction in COVID-19].

BACKGROUND: The research of cytokine-induced thyropathies in the midst of continuing coronavirus infection (COVID-19) pandemic is a very important and urgent problem. On the one hand, COVID-19 is often accompanied by a massive overproduction of cytokines, so we can expect an enhanced cytokines effects impact on the thyroid gland. On the other hand, it is possible that biological therapy with tocilizumab, which has a powerful immunosuppressive effect, plays a protective role to the development of cytokines-induced thyropathies amidst COVID-19. The results of the study should be the starting point for understanding the mechanisms of possible compromise of thyroid function during COVID-19. AIM: The primary endpoint is to assess the relationship between the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and free thyroxine (FT4) with the inflammatory process markers. The secondary endpoint is the identification of an association between TSH, FT3 and FT4 values, and patient survival. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective, single-center study included 122 patients hospitalized at the National Medical Research Center for Endocrinology with a clinical and laboratory analysis of COVID-19 and bilateral polysegmental viral pneumonia. To assess the functional status of the thyroid gland all patients underwent observation of the TSH, FT3, FT4, antibodies to thyroid peroxidase, antibodies to the TSH receptor (AT-recTSH). The markers of the inflammatory process were assessed: interleukin-6, C-reactive protein, the degree of lung tissue damage according to multispiral computed tomography of the lungs, the percentage of blood oxygen saturation (SpO2), the treatment outcomes. RESULTS: Five (4%) patients were found with subclinical thyrotoxicosis. Serum TSH values were inversely correlated with interleukin-6 (r=-0.221; p=0.024). Analysis of the level of hospital mortality, stratified by TSH, revealed statistically significantly lower TSH values in the group of deceased patients (p=0.012). The median TSH in surviving patients was 1.34 [0.85; 1.80], for the deceased 0.44 [0.29; 0.99]. CONCLUSION: Our research shows that the trigger of thyropathies in coronavirus infection is most likely thyroid tissue damage by the proinflammatory cytokines. This study shows some specific clinical aspects regarding the clinical relevance in patients with thyrotoxicosis and COVID-19, namely, the high hospital mortality rate.

Consensus position of endocrinologists and pathologists on coding causes of death in patients with diabetes mellitus (expert opinion)

Coding of the causes of death of patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) in the Russian Federation is one of the long-discussed problems, due to the comorbidity of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) and a number of contradictions in the key regulatory documents regulating the statistics of mortality in this category of patients, which acquires particular relevance in the context of the coronavirus pandemic, due to its negative impact on the outcomes of the course of COVID-19 and mortality risks. In pursuance of the decisions of the Minutes of the meeting of the working group under the project committee of the National Project «Health» on identifying patterns in the formation of mortality rates of the population dated January 20, 2021 No. 1, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation T.A. Golikova, experts of two directions - endocrinology and pathological anatomy, prepared a Draft of agreed recommendations on the Rules for coding the causes of death of patients with diabetes, causing the greatest problems in terms of the use of ICD-10 when choosing the initial cause of death, including in the case of death from CVD and COVID-19.

[Iodine deficiency disorders as a non-infectious epidemic: a look at the problem at the tome of COVID-19 pandemic].

Radioactive iodine, flying out of the destroyed reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, like a corona virus quickly spread throughout Europe. Iodine deficiency in the regions of Ukraine, Belarus and Russia adjacent to nuclear power plants became a factor in increased uptake of radioactive iodine by the thyroid gland in children and after 5 years led to an epidemic of thyroid cancer. Optimal iodine intake could become a kind of vaccination, which sharply reduces the risk of developing thyroid cancer, as has happened after the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan. Endemic goiter was eliminated 50 years ago, but returned to the country in the early 1990s after the collapse of iodized salt production and has not been eliminated to this day due to the lack of a legislative framework for mandatory salt iodization. The actual average consumption of iodine by residents of Russia is from 40 to 80 mcg per day, which is 23 times less than the recommended norm. Mild and moderate iodine deficiency was detected throughout the Russian Federation, and it is more typical for the the rural population. The iodine deficiency has the greatest negative effect on the psychomotor development of the child during the critical period the first 1000 days of life from the moment of conception to the end of the second year of life. According to WHO, over the past 20 years, iodine deficiency has been eliminated in 115 countries of the world, and the number of iodine-deficient countries has dropped to 25, but Russia is still among them. We believe that after the COVID-19 pandemic, it will no longer be necessary to prove the need for effective support for the prevention of both infectious and non-infectious diseases, and the declared preventive direction of Russian medicine will indeed become such.