Serum Neudesin Levels in Patients with Congenital Hypothyroidism.

Abstract

Objectives: Neudesin is a newly discovered protein mainly secreted from adipose tissue and the brain. It plays a role as a neurotrophic factor in the brain and a negative regulator of energy expenditure. Neurodevelopmental delay and cognitive dysfunction are common features in cases with congenital hypothyroidism (CH) without treatment. Considering neudesin's role in brain development and its contribution to the survival of mature neurons, any possible relationships between neudesin and thyroid hormone were evaluated.

Methods: A total of 52 patients (32 patients with CH, 14 females and 18 males, aged 19± 7 days; 20 healthy subjects for the control group; 7 females and 13 males, aged 22± 8 days) were included in the study. All patients were evaluated for thyroid hormones and plasma neudesin levels. The basal neudesin levels between the patient and control groups and the patients' neudesin levels before and after l-thyroxine treatment were compared.

Results: Regarding basal neudesin levels, there was no statistically significant difference (6.77±6.41 vs 7.93±7.04 ng/mL) (p=0.552) between the CH and control groups respectively. However, neudesin levels increased following one month of therapy (6.46±6.63 vs 12.85±18.74 ng/mL) in the CH group; this difference was statistically significant (p=0.019).

Conclusion: Although there was no difference in basal neudesin levels between the patient and control groups, neudesin levels increased with treatment. However, more extensive and different studies are needed to understand the pathophysiological role of this relationship in the disease or the recovery process.