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Elevated Serum IL-17 Expression at Cessation Associated with Graves' Disease Relapse
Jianhui Li1, Xiaohua Sun1, Danzhen Yao1
1Department of Endocrine, Ningbo No. 2 Hospital, No. 41, Xibei Street, Ningbo, 315000 Zhejiang, China.
International Journal of Endocrinology
|May 2, 2018
Summary
Elevated serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) levels predict Graves' disease relapse after antithyroid drug treatment. This finding aids in identifying patients at higher risk for recurrence within 12 months.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Immunology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Graves' disease (GD) is commonly treated with antithyroid drugs (ATDs), but relapse rates after treatment cessation are high.
- Identifying predictors of GD relapse is crucial for optimizing patient management and preventing recurrence.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential risk factors for Graves' disease relapse following antithyroid drug therapy.
- Specifically, to assess the association between serum interleukin-17 (IL-17) expression and GD relapse.
Main Methods:
- Prospective enrollment of 117 newly diagnosed Graves' disease patients undergoing ATD therapy.
- Risk factor analysis using univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazard models.
- Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and log-rank test to evaluate the association between serum IL-17 levels and relapse-free survival (RFS).
Main Results:
- A 12-month remission rate of 61.5% was observed, with 38.5% of patients experiencing GD relapse.
- Elevated serum IL-17 expression at ATD cessation was identified as an independent risk factor for relapse within 12 months (HR: 3.04, p=0.021).
- Patients with higher IL-17 levels at cessation showed significantly lower relapse-free survival (p=0.028).
Conclusions:
- Elevated serum IL-17 expression at the cessation of antithyroid drug treatment is a significant predictor of Graves' disease relapse.
- IL-17 may serve as a valuable biomarker for identifying patients at increased risk of GD recurrence within 12 months.