IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON THYROID FUNCTION: EVIDENCE FROM IRAN

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Infectious Diseases
• Clinical Chemistry

Background:

• COVID-19, a global pandemic, has been associated with various systemic complications.
• Thyroid dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a potential complication in viral infections.
• Understanding the interplay between COVID-19 severity, thyroid hormones, and inflammation is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between COVID-19 severity and thyroid function.
• To explore the relationship between thyroid hormones and inflammatory markers in COVID-19 patients.

Main Methods:

• An observational study involving 95 COVID-19 patients.
• Measurement of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroxine, triiodothyronine, C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and lymphocytes.
• Statistical analysis using t-tests, nonparametric tests, and Spearman correlation.

Main Results:

• Increasing trends of thyroid dysfunction, notably TSH, were observed with progressing COVID-19 severity, though not statistically significant.
• A significant inverse Spearman correlation (r=-0.28) was found between TSH and LDH.
• A direct association was confirmed between COVID-19 severity and LDH levels (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

• A direct relationship exists between COVID-19 severity and LDH levels.
• A reverse association was observed between LDH levels and TSH, suggesting a link between inflammation and thyroid function in COVID-19.