[Level of neopterin in blood serum in selected thyroid diseases]

Abstract

The aim of our study was to estimate the levels of neopterin (NTP), anti thyroglobulin antibodies (ATG), anti thyroid microsomal antibodies (MAB), immunoglobulins (IgG, IgA and IgM) and creatinine in the serum of patients with thyroid diseases. The clinical material consisted of 71 patients (64 women and 7 men) with non-toxic nodular goitre (30 persons), neoplasms (33 persons: 22 with thyroid adenoma and 11 with thyroid carcinoma) and thyroiditis (8 persons). The control group consisted of 30 healthy women. In studied groups the mean serum levels of NTP and creatinine were in normal range. The highest levels of NTP were found in patients with thyroid carcinoma (7.14 +/- 5.95 nmol/l) and with non-toxic nodular goitre (5.13 +/- 3.57 nmol/l). It was statistically significant in comparison with control group (p < 0.05). Anti thyroglobulin antibodies (ATG) were detected in serum of 36 patients (50.7%) and anti thyroid microsomal antibodies (MAB) were in serum of 28 patients (39.4%). Mean levels of these autoantibodies were significantly higher than in control group (< 0.05). In patients with autoantibodies (ATG and/or MAB) mean serum level of NPT was significantly higher than in patients without these autoantibodies (p < 0.05). We did not find a significant correlation between the level of NPT and the levels of ATG and MAB.