RESUMO
Selenium (Se) deficiency has been implicated in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), although the available evidence is limited. The present study aimed to explore the interrelationships between serum Se status with measures of thyroid function and antioxidant defense in new cases of HT patients with hypoechogenic thyroid. HT patients (n = 49) and matched controls (n = 50) were recruited. Selenium, thyroid hormone panel, thyroid volume (TVol), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase3 (GPx3) activity, urinary iodine concentration (UIC), and urinary creatinine (Cr) were assessed. HT patients exhibited lower Se levels compared to controls (p < 0.001) with the rates of Se-deficient (<0.85 µmol/L) participants being 58.8% and 34%, respectively. Se-deficient patients exhibited higher thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), Thyroid volume (TVol), thyroglobulin, antibody-titers, GPx3 activity and UIC/Cr compared to Se-sufficient patients (all p < 0.001). In the Se-deficient patients, inverse correlations were seen between Se-levels with TSH, TVol, and Thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPO-Ab) (all p < 0.001). This study is the first to uncover that coexisting Se-deficiency and elevated iodine in HT may enhance autoimmune reactions and accelerate the deterioration of thyroid function through oxidative stress. Our study also highlights the importance of optimal Se status in this disease, thus providing a rationale for the execution of intervention trials for the evaluation of the clinical benefits of antioxidant-status improvement in HT.
RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is among the inflammatory mediators exhibiting elevated levels in ischemic stroke (IS) patients. The present study set out to evaluate the relationship between serum levels of interleukin-6 with long-term and at-hospital outcomes of acute ischemic stroke in patients hospitalized at Imam Khomeini Hospital, Urmia, Iran, from 2017 to 2018. METHOD AND MATERIALS: This cross-sectional descriptive study enrolled 29 and 31 acute stroke patients for long-term and at-hospital observation, respectively. Evaluation of stroke severity was performed using the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) and the modified Rankin Scale (mRS) on days 1, 5, and 90. Serum IL-6 level was measured via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on days one and five. RESULTS: In the present cohort study, the following population were enrolled: for long-term evaluation, 11 (38%) men and 18 (63%) women with a mean age of 64.5 ± 14.9 years, and for at-hospital evaluation: 11 (37.5%) men and 20 (64.5%) with a mean age of 65.25 ± 14.37 years. A significant positive correlation was observed between IL-6 levels with NIHSS and mRS scores of the patients from time of admission until the end of the follow-up period (long-term: p < .001; at-hospital: 0.022). CONCLUSION: The evidence from the present study suggests that IL-6 contributes to the determination of the severity of ischemic strokes and may be useful in predicting prognosis. However, larger scale studies are required to further establish these finds.
