Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The prevalence of manifest hypothyroidism by various data is 0.2–2%, sub-clinical – up to 3% in men and up to 10% in women, and in people over 70 years old – 13–14%. The presence of concomitant gastrointestinal diseases significantly limits the possibility of hypothyroidism compensation; these patients need higher doses of levothyroxine. According to a number of researchers, hypothyroidism is often accompanied by small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). The purpose of the work was to study the species composition and population level of microflora of the intestinal cavity in patients with primary hypothyroidism depending on disease compensation, as well as study of the content of the main filotypes of intestinal microbiota in these patients.

Material and Methods: 44 patients with hypothyroidism (19 men and 25 women) aged 30–72 years (the average age 47.3 + 8.9 years) were examined at the stageof compensation and decompensation of the disease and 51 practically healthy people who formed the control group. Due to the disease compensation, 2 groups of patients were created. The first group (20 patients) consisted of patients in the state of compensation, the second group (24 patients) – in the state of decompensation of the disease. Identification of selected cultures was carried out according to morphological, tinctoral, cultural and biochemical properties.

Results and discussion: The dysbiosis of the IV degree was established in 34 (77%) patients, the third degree — at 8 (18%) patients, II degree — in 1 patient, I degree — in 1 patient. Imbalance developed due to eliminations and deficiency of autochthonous anaerobic, obligatory bacteria (Bifidobacteria, Lactobacteria), contaminations of the large intestine by enterotoxigenic, enteropathogenic and hemolytic Escherichia, opportunistic enterobacteria and an increase of the number of the bacteriodes, peptococci, peptostreptococci, clostridia, staphylococci and yeast-like fungi of the Candida type.

Conclusion: It is found out that the relative content of the main microbial filotypes differed from healthy subjects compared with patients with hypothyroidism. Thus, Firmicutes content in patients with hypothyroidism was significantly higher and bacteroides content – significantly lower in relation to healthy individuals (P < 0.05). Analyzing the content of the main microbial filotypes depending on the state of hypothyroidism compensation, it was found that in patients in the state of compensation and decompensation of hypothyroidis, Firmicutes content was significantly higher (P < 0.05), and the content of Bacteroides – relatively lower in patients in the compensation state comparing to the group of healthy people (P < 0.05).