Elevated semaphorin 5A in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis: a case-control study.

Area of Science:

• Immunology
• Endocrinology
• Autoimmune Diseases

Background:

• Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) involves elevated auto-antibodies like TgAb and TPOAb, with a known role for Th17 cells.
• The precise mechanisms driving HT pathogenesis remain unclear.
• Semaphorin 5A (Sema 5A) is implicated in various autoimmune conditions through immune cell modulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role and significance of Semaphorin 5A (Sema 5A) in Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT).
• To determine serum levels of Sema 5A in HT patients compared to healthy controls.
• To explore correlations between Sema 5A and key disease markers in HT.

Main Methods:

• Serum Sema 5A levels were quantified using ELISA in 92 HT patients and 111 healthy controls.
• RNA expression of Sema 5A, its receptors (plexin-A1, plexin-B3), and cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-17) was analyzed via real-time PCR.
• Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 23 HT patients and 31 controls were used for RNA analysis.

Main Results:

• Serum Sema 5A levels were significantly elevated in HT patients compared to controls (P < 0.001).
• Sema 5A levels positively correlated with TgAb (r=0.511), TPOAb (r=0.423), TSH (r=0.349), and IL-17 mRNA (r=0.442).
• Serum Sema 5A demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for HT (AUC=0.836), with 79.35% sensitivity and 96.40% specificity.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first evidence of elevated serum Sema 5A in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
• Serum Sema 5A levels are associated with thyroid auto-antibodies and IL-17 expression, suggesting a role in HT pathogenesis.
• Sema 5A emerges as a potential biomarker and therapeutic target in the immune response of HT.