Acute-phase reactans in Hashimoto thyroiditis

Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) is one of the autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland. It is characterized by diffuse lymphocytic infiltration of the thyroid gland and the elevated levels of the serum anti-thyroid antibodies. Recently Hashimoto thyroiditis has been proposed as a systemic disorder. Acute-phase reactans have been implicated for their involvement as pro-inflammatory molecules in various inflammatory diseases. The aim of the present study was to examine the blood concentrations of acute-phase proteins, namely C-reactive protein (CRP), serum amyloid A (SAA) and fibrinogen in the patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis. Two groups were enrolled: study group consisting from euthyroid patients with HT (n=30), and healthy control subjects (n=30). Blood samples were obtained from all the patients and control subjects and were analyzed for serum CRP, SAA, fibrinogen, and ESR. Mean ESR was found to be higher in HT patients than control group (p=0.024). The mean fibrinogen and SAA values in HT were also significantly higher than that of the control group (p=0.03, p=0.002). We therefore suggest that a low-grade systemic inflammation may exist in HT patients even if they were euthyroid.