Interleukin-37 and Galectin-9: Suggested Biochemical Tools for Diagnosis of Untreated Thyroidopathies

Abstract

Background: Thyroid disorders are amongst the most dominant of medical conditions after diabetes disease, especially in women, it affects about 200 million people worldwide. Thyroid disorders are commonly separated into two major types, hyperthyroidism and hypothyroidism, depending on whether serum thyroid hormone levels (T4 and T3) are increased or decreased, respectively. Thyroid disease generally may be sub-classified based on etiologic factors, physiologic abnormalities, and also involved goiter and thyroid cancer.

Materials and Methods: 90 persons were participated in the current study, they were classified into two group, patients and healthy individuals. Patients group included 30 patients with hypothyroidisms (10 males: 20 females), while the second group included 30 patients with hyperthyroidisms (10 males:20 females). The controls group included 30 individuals (11 males: 19 females) who appeared healthy and whose ages ranged from 30 to 60 years. Sandwich-ELISA method was applied to determine the level of Interleukin-37 and galectin-9 in the serum samples of the study individuals.

Results: The current study aimed to evaluate the levels of interleukin-37 and galectin-9 in sera samples of patients with thyroid disorders (hypothyroidisms and hyperthyroidisms) and healthy controls. The results showed a significant elevation (p=0.000) of the interleukin-37 concentration in both of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism patients group comparison to the those in the controls group, while no such variations were noted when the two sickness groups compared together. Outcomes show significant increase (p=0.000) in the interleukin-37 of male patient’s subgroup (hypo- and hyperthyroidism) comparison to those of healthy males, same results were recorded when the female subgroups(patients and healthy) compared together. It was noted that galectin-9 concentration increases in the patients’groups compassion to healthy individuals, moreover; the highly elevations of this parameter was shown in the hyperthyroidism group. Statistically, highly significant differences were illustrated when the three study’s groups when compared together (p=0.000, p=0.046), in addition; the results did not record statistical variations between both sexes within study groups (either patientsor controls) on the other side, the outcomes have been shown a significant increase (p=0.000) of galectin-9 levels in the males’ as well as females’ patients subgroups when compared together or when compared to their peers in the control subgroups. The sensitivity of interleukin-37 was 97% in the hypothyroidism cases, while, the specificity of interleukin-37 was 100%. The sensitivity of galectin-9 in the hyperthyroidism was 100% and the specificity of galectin-9 was 90%. The combined specificity of interleukin-37 and galectin-9 reached to 100% when they were studied together in both hypo- and hyperthyroidism.

Conclusion: Interleukin-37 and galectin-9 can be used as clinical tools to diagnose thyroid disorders before receiving treatments and can also replace routine examinations in monitoring response to treatment.