EVALUATION OF FETUIN-A LEVELS IN THE EARLY STAGE OF AUTOIMMUNE THYROIDITIS

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Immunology
• Biochemistry

Background:

• Fetuin-A is a multifunctional protein implicated in metabolic syndrome, vascular calcification, and inflammation.
• Understanding fetuin-A's role in autoimmune thyroiditis is crucial for comprehensive patient care.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between serum fetuin-A levels and autoimmune thyroiditis in patients without overt thyroid dysfunction.
• To determine if fetuin-A levels can serve as a biomarker for identifying autoimmune thyroiditis.

Main Methods:

• Prospective case-control study conducted at a tertiary health institution.
• Serum fetuin-A levels were measured using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit.
• Comparison of fetuin-A levels between 42 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 44 healthy controls.

Main Results:

• Autoimmune thyroiditis without thyroid dysfunction was significantly associated with lower serum fetuin-A levels.
• A fetuin-A level threshold of ≤162.22 µg/mL demonstrated 80.95% sensitivity and 70.45% specificity for identifying autoimmune thyroiditis.
• No significant differences were observed in neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, fasting blood glucose, insulin, or HOMA-IR between groups.

Conclusions:

• Lower fetuin-A levels are linked to autoimmune thyroiditis, even in the absence of thyroid dysfunction.
• The findings suggest a potential role for fetuin-A in the pathogenesis or as a marker of autoimmune thyroiditis.
• Low fetuin-A levels may indicate an increased cardiovascular disease risk, warranting monitoring in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.