Abstract
Establishing any characteristic associations between the serum parameters of thyroid function and serum proteins in pregnancy may aid in elucidating the role of the thyroid gland in the regulation of pregnancy-specific metabolic processes and in selecting candidate biomarkers for use in their clinical assessment. Concentrations of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), free tri-iodothyronine (fT3) and free thyroxine (fT4), six electrophoretically separated protein fractions (albumin, alpha-1-, alpha2-, beta-1-, beta-2- and gamma-globulins), representative proteins—albumin (ALB), transferrin (TRF), alpha-2-macroglobulin (AMG) and ceruloplasmin (CER) were measured in 136 serum samples from 65 women in their consecutive trimesters of pregnancy. The concentrations of TSH, fT4 and fT3 were significantly correlated (p < 0.05) with the concentrations of the albumin, alpha-2- and beta-1 globulin fractions. Significant correlations (p < 0.05) which were positive between fT4 and ALB and negative between fT4 and TRF were established throughout pregnancy. Significant negative correlations (p < 0.05) were demonstrated for fT3 with alpha-2-globulin, AMG and CER. Changes in the serum concentrations of thyroid hormones seen between the trimesters were found to correlate with the concentrations of high-abundance serum proteins. Opposite directions of correlations between fT4 and ALB and fT4 and TRF observed throughout pregnancy may indicate the shared biological role of these parameters in maintaining maternal homeostasis and they suggest their potential use in the clinic as a simple biomarker panel. A negative correlation of fT3 with CER in the second trimester possibly reflects their involvement in the active regulation of metabolic processes.
Highlights
Establishing any characteristic associations between the serum parameters of thyroid function and serum proteins in pregnancy may aid in elucidating the role of the thyroid gland in the regulation of pregnancy-specific metabolic processes and in selecting candidate biomarkers for use in their clinical assessment
The aim of the study was to determine whether there were any associations between the variations in the concentrations of proteins contained in the electrophoretic fractions and the levels of thyroid function parameters (TSH, fT4, fT3, fT3/fT4 ratio) and to identify and measure the concentrations of individual proteins in these fractions as candidate biomarkers of thyroid function in pregnancy
The results demonstrate associations between the concentrations of serum proteins and the thyroid panel undergoing changes in consecutive trimesters of pregnancy
Summary
Establishing any characteristic associations between the serum parameters of thyroid function and serum proteins in pregnancy may aid in elucidating the role of the thyroid gland in the regulation of pregnancy-specific metabolic processes and in selecting candidate biomarkers for use in their clinical assessment. Identification of the effects of changes in the serum concentrations of thyroid hormones on the of the qualitative and quantitative composition of serum proteins in pregnancy could lead to better understanding of the role of the thyroid gland in the management of metabolic pathways to maintain homeostasis. When confirmed, these putative associations between the thyroid panel and changes in the serum concentrations of individual proteins with known biological properties and roles may provide more detailed information and clarify the physiological and pathological mechanisms which regulate the shared involvement of thyroid hormones and serum proteins in pregnancy-associated metabolic processes specific to each trimester. Identification of individual proteins in these fractions, whose concentrations appear to be associated with the parameters of thyroid function may be an alternative method to characterize normal and abnormal pregnancyassociated metabolic processes which involve thyroid hormones and a source of novel biomarkers for their evaluation
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