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Serum Trace Elements Profile in Graves' Disease Patients with or without Orbitopathy in Northeast China
Yongping Liu1, Shanshan Liu2, Jinyuan Mao1
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Endocrinology, Liaoning Provincial Key Laboratory of Endocrine Diseases, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, China Medical University, No. 155, North Nanjing Street, Heping District, Shenyang, China.
Objective:
The purpose of the present study was to investigate serum trace elements in Graves' disease (GD) patients with or without orbitopathy in Northeast China.
Methods:
Patients with newly diagnosed Graves' disease (HyGD) (n = 66), GD patients with euthyroid status or subclinical thyroidism after treatment (EUGD) (n = 55), GO patients with euthyroid status or subclinical thyroidism after treatment (GO) (n = 57), and normal controls (NC) (n = 66) were enrolled in this study. Serum trace elements were measured with ICP-MS.
Results:
Serum selenium (Se) levels in EUGD group (median: 7.53 µg/dL), HyGD group (median: 6.76 µg/dL), and GO group (median: 7.40 µg/dL) were significantly lower than those in NC group (median: 9.20 µg/dL, all P < 0.01). Serum copper (Cu) levels in GO group (median: 95.93 µg/dL) were significantly lower than those in the NC group (median: 113.59 µg/dL, P = 0.015). After being adjusted for multivariables, thyroid-specific antibodies grade was associated with low Se levels. Hyperthyroidism and thyroid-specific antibodies grade were associated with high Cu levels. In addition, orbitopathy was associated with low Cu levels.
Conclusions:
Thyroid autoimmunity was associated with low Se levels. Hyperthyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity may be associated with relatively high serum Cu levels. Alternatively, ophthalmopathy may be related to low serum Cu levels.