Lipid profile and levels of homocysteine, leptin, fibrinogen and C-reactive protein in hyperthyroid patients before and after treatment.

Objectives: The present study was carried out to determine whether thyroid hormones affect lipid profile and levels of erithrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), serum total homocysteine (t-hcy), leptin, fibrinogen, C-reactive protein (CRP in patients with hyperthyroidism. Materials and methods: This study was carried out on 23 hyperthroid subjects (3 men / 20 women, mean age 41.8 ± 2.4 years). Serum levels of homocysteine, leptin, fibrinogen, CRP, total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) and ESR were measured and body mass index (BMI) were calculated before and after treatment of hyperthyroidism. Results: Pretreatment t-hcy, TC, LDL-C, HDL-C levels and BMI of patients were significantly lower than those of the post-treatment (p<0.001, for each variable). However, fibrinogen and ESR decreased after the treatment (p<0.001 and p<0.05, respectively). There were no differences in leptin and CRP levels between pre- and post-treatment periods. Pre and post treatment TC and LDL-C levels were negatively correlated with free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels (r=-0.588, p<0.01; r=-0.534, p<0.01; r=-0.543, p<0.01 and r =-0.653, p<0.01, respectively). Pre-treatment HDL-C was inversely correlated with TSH (r=-0.423, p<0.05). Pre-post- treatment LDL-C was negatively correlated with free thyroxine (fT4) levels (r=-0.536, p<0.001 and r=- 0.422, p<0.05 respectively). Pre-treatment TC was inversely correlated with fT4 (r=-0.590, p<0.01). Conclusion: Hyperthyroidism is associated with high plasma fibrinogen and ESR levels. Elevated plasma fibrinogen and ESR levels may be a possible explanation for the high cardiovascular morbidity among hyperthyroidic subjects. These changes may reflect low-grade inflammation or disturbances in coagulation in hyperthyroidism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]