FABP4 levels in hypothyroidism and its relationship with subclinical atherosclerosis

Abstract

Background/aim: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between serum fatty acid binding protein 4 (FABP4) levels andcarotid intima media thickness (CIMT) in patients with hypothyroidism.Materials and methods: Forty subclinical hypothyroidism patients, 40 overt hypothyroidism patients, and 40 healthy controls wereenrolled in the study. Blood pressure, body mass index, CIMT, fasting blood sugar, creatine, alanine aminotransferase, lipid parameters,insulin, free thyroxine, triiodothyronine, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO), thyroglobulinantibody (anti-TG), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (Hs-CRP), and FABP4 levels of all participants were measured.Results: Serum FABP4 levels were significantly higher in patients with subclinical and overt hypothyroidism than healthy controls(HCs) (P = 0.044 and P = 0.014, respectively). There was no significant difference in terms of FABP4 levels between patients withsubclinical and overt hypothyroidism (P = 0.641). Serum TSH levels and serum FABP4 levels were positively correlated (r = 0.201,P = 0.039). CIMT was found to be higher in patients with subclinical and overt hypothyroidism than in HCs (P = 0.042 and P