Endocrine Abstracts

Background: The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic disease (Covid-19) affects thyroid function with different mechanisms: non-thyroidal illness syndrome (NTIS), direct infection of thyroid gland and cytokine storm. We provided the first description of painless atypical thyroiditis coexisting with NTIS in patients hospitalised for moderate-to-severe Covid-19 disease. We aimed to: 1) correlate thyroid dysfunction with Covid-19 disease severity;...

Introduction: A possible association between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-2 pandemic, in terms of infection and/or vaccination, and subacute thyroiditis (SAT) has been recently reported. Although a higher SAT incidence in pandemic has been described, data are still conflicting.Aim: To determine SAT incidence in Italy during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and to characterize clinical peculiarities and response to medical treatment...

Background: Alemtuzumab (ALTZ) is a humanised monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody used as effective treatment for relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), causing panlymphopenia with subsequent lymphocyte repopulation. Unfortunately, around 40% of patients develop secondary humoral autoimmunity, mainly affecting the thyroid gland. Anti-thyrotropin-receptor (TSHR) autoantibodies (TRAb) can stimulate (TSAb), block (TBAb) or not affect (‘neutral’) TSHR function, with TSAb...

Background: Alemtuzumab (ALTZ) is a humanised monoclonal anti-CD52 antibody used as effective treatment for relapsing/remitting multiple sclerosis (MS), causing panlymphopenia with subsequent lymphocyte repopulation. Unfortunately, around 40% of patients develop secondary humoral autoimmunity, mainly affecting the thyroid gland. Anti-thyrotropin-receptor (TSHR) autoantibodies (TRAb) can stimulate (TSAb), block (TBAb) or not affect (‘neutral’) TSHR function, with TSAb...

Background and Aims: Graves’ disease (GD) and orbitopathy (GO) are characterised by the presence of pathological anti-thyrotropin receptor antibodies. In thyroid autoimmunity, especially GD and GO, a dysregulation of several T cell subpopulations has been proposed, especially T regulatory (Treg) and T helper 17 (Th17) cells, determining (auto)immunity inhibition and enhancement, respectively. T follicular cells (Tf) within germinal centres (GC: aggregates of lymphocytes w...

Background: Changes of the gut microbiota may impact on the mechanisms of immune tolerance in Graves’ disease (GD) and Graves’ orbitopathy (GO). Probiotics, which contain live micro-organisms, can modify the composition of the gut microbiota.Aims: We tested in a double-blind randomized placebo controlled trial whether the administration of a well-characterized, commercially available, probiotic would 1) modify the microbiota composition in GD/G...

Alemtuzumab, a highly effective, newly-licensed, treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS), is notably associated with Graves’ disease (GD), which reportedly has an indolent course.Methods: Case record review of patients who developed thyroid dysfunction (TD) after alemtuzumab treatment in Cambridge & Cardiff, to determine type, frequency and course of TD.Results: 41.8% (104/249; 81F, 23M) of alemtuzumab-treated patients devel...

The role of the thyrotropin receptor (TSHR) in bone is unclear. TSHR-deficient mice have low bone mineral density (BMD) and focal osteosclerosis despite normal thyroid hormones (suggesting TSHR function, in bone, is important). Subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) has various aetiologies including thyroid autoimmunity (TA) and inactivating TSHR mutations (TSHR-M). In TSHR-deficiency & TSH-M elevated TSH compensates for reduced TSHR function, whereas in TA it compensates for red...

Background: BAFF is a Serum B cell stimulating factor shown elevated in Graves’ disease, compared to controls (Vannucchi 2012). BAFF and its receptor are expressed on lymphocytes infiltrating the thyroid in Graves’ disease as well as on thyrocytes themselves (Campi 2015).Aims: A single-blind randomized controlled trial (EudraCT 2015-002127-26) has been conducted to test the efficacy of the anti-BAFF monoclonal antibody belimumab (BMB) in acti...

Graves’ Disease (GD) affects about 2% of the population in the UK, with female predominance. A proportion of GD patients (5–50%) develop orbitopathy (GO), which is characterized by tissue remodeling in the orbit leading to protrusion of the eye (proptosis). Blood biomarkers associated with GD or GO could be useful diagnostic or prognostic tools for researchers and clinicians. Within the framework of INDIGO IAPP-612116 (Investigation of Novel biomarkers and Definition...