Common drugs that cause abnormalities in the thyroid gland functions and their impact on levels of serum biomarkers

Abstract

The abnormal thyroid function in the duration of drug treatment has attracted increasing attention, these drugs included traditional drugs, such as glucocorticoid, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, iodine agent, etc.; also included new types of drugs, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. The possible reasons causing abnormality of thyroid biomarkers included drugs' toxicity on thyroid, drug-drug interaction affecting synthetic thyroid hormones therapy, and drug's interference on biomarkers' measurement. This article focused on the influence and mechanisms of common drugs on the regulation, synthesis, release, transport and metabolism of thyroid hormones. Here also briefly introduced the mechanism of drug-drugs interaction on the effect of synthetic thyroid hormone; the interference and mechanism of some drugs on the laboratory measurement was also included. The aim of this article was to strengthen clinician's understanding on drug-induced thyroid diseases and to be alert to drugs' interference on the in-vitro measurement of biomarkers.