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Increased serum tumor necrosis factor α levels in patients with lenalidomide-induced hypothyroidism
Wade T Iams1, Megan L Hames2, Judy P Tsai3
1Department of Internal Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, USA.
As the use of lenalidomide expands, the poorly understood phenomenon of lenalidomide-induced thyroid abnormalities will increase. In this study, we compared rates of therapy-induced hypothyroidism in 329 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with conventional chemotherapy (DLBCL-c) or conventional chemotherapy plus lenalidomide (DLBCL-len). We measured serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interferon gamma, interleukin 6, interleukin 12, and interleukin 15 before and after treatment. We found a significantly higher rate of therapy-induced hypothyroidism in the DLBCL-len group (25.8% vs. 1.3%), and we found a statistically significant increase in serum tumor necrosis factor α in patients with lenalidomide-induced hypothyroidism.
As the use of lenalidomide expands, the poorly understood phenomenon of lenalidomide-induced thyroid abnormalities will increase. In this study, we compared rates of therapy-induced hypothyroidism in 329 patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treated with conventional chemotherapy (DLBCL-c) or conventional chemotherapy plus lenalidomide (DLBCL-len). We measured serum levels of tumor necrosis factor α, interferon gamma, interleukin 6, interleukin 12, and interleukin 15 before and after treatment. We found a significantly higher rate of therapy-induced hypothyroidism in the DLBCL-len group (25.8% vs. 1.3%), and we found a statistically significant increase in serum tumor necrosis factor α in patients with lenalidomide-induced hypothyroidism.
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