This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Figueroa-Vega, N. Articles by Marazuela, M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Figueroa-Vega, N. Articles by Marazuela, M. Related Collections Thyroid

Serum Levels of Angiogenic Molecules in Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases and Their Correlation with Laboratory and Clinical Features

Department of Immunology, School of Medicine (N.F.-V., R.G.-A.), Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, San Luis Potosí 78230, México; and Services of Endocrinology (N.F.-V., M.M.), Digestive Diseases and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en el Área temática de Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas (P.S.-C., R.M.-O.), and Immunology (F.S.-M.), Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, 28006 Madrid, Spain

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Mónica Marazuela Azpiroz, M.D., Ph.D., Service of Endocrinology, Hospital Universitario de la Princesa, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, C/ Diego de León 62, Madrid 28006, Spain. E-mail: mmarazuela.hlpr{at}salud.madrid.org.

Context: Because angiogenesis has a role in the pathogenesis of inflammatory conditions, we studied angiogenesis soluble markers in autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Objective: The aim of the study was to measure concentrations of angiopoietins, Tie-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor in sera from autoimmune thyroid disease patients.

Design: Soluble Tie-2 (sTie-2), angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor were quantified by ELISA in sera from 44 untreated Graves’ disease (GD) patients, 25 untreated Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) patients, 13 non-GD hyperthyroid patients, and 22 age-matched controls. Subgroups of patients with active and non-active Graves’ ophthalmopathy (GO) were analyzed. Correlations among these markers and clinical parameters were assessed by bivariate and multivariate analyses.

Results: sTie-2 levels were higher in GD or HT patients compared to controls (P < 0.01). In addition, serum Ang-2 concentrations were higher in untreated GD patients compared to controls, HT patients, or non-GD hyperthyroid patients (P < 0.01), and no difference was observed between HT patients and controls. Significant correlations were found between free T₄/sTie-2 and free T₄/Ang-2 levels (r = 0.464, P < 0.01; and r = 0.463, P < 0.01, respectively) as well as between sTie-2/anti-TSH receptor antibody (r = 0.527; P < 0.01) and sTie-2/Ang-2 (r = 0.563; P = 0.001). Furthermore, sTie-2 levels were significantly higher in patients with active GO when compared to those with inactive GO (P < 0.05). Interestingly, Ang-2 levels decreased significantly after treatment with antithyroid drugs (P < 0.01).

Conclusions: Ang-2 and sTie-2 could participate in the pathogenesis of GD and potentially be used as markers of GO activity. Antithyroid drugs affect the angiogenic pattern in GD.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				N. Figueroa-Vega, M. Alfonso-Perez, C. Cuesta-Mateos, F. Sanchez-Madrid, R. Moreno-Otero, R. Gonzalez-Amaro, and M. Marazuela Tie-2 Is Overexpressed by Monocytes in Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders and Participates in Their Recruitment to the Thyroid Gland J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., July 1, 2009; 94(7): 2626 - 2633. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]