Thyroid hormones and antioxidant systems: focus on oxidative stress in cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases

Abstract

In previous works we demonstrated an inverse correlation between plasma Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and thyroid hormones; in fact, CoQ10 levels in hyperthyroid patients were found among the lowest detected in human diseases. On the contrary, CoQ10 is elevated in hypothyroid subjects, also in subclinical conditions, suggesting the usefulness of this index in assessing metabolic status in thyroid disorders. A Low-T3 syndrome is a condition observed in several chronic diseases: it is considered an adaptation mechanism, where there is a reduction in pro-hormone T4 conversion. Low T3-Syndrome is not usually considered to be corrected with replacement therapy. We review the role of thyroid hormones in regulation of antioxidant systems, also presenting data on total antioxidant capacity and Coenzyme Q10. Published studies suggest that oxidative stress could be involved in the clinical course of different heart diseases; our data could support the rationale of replacement therapy in low-T3 conditions.

Figure 1.

Mean (±SEM) plasma CoQ₁₀ levels (μU/mL) in patients with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and control subjects.

Figure 2.

Mean (±SEM) LAG values (sec) in patients with hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism and control subjects.