Relationship between serum Fetuin-A and insulin resistance in patients with hyperthyroidism

Abstract

Background Fetuin-A is a multifunctional hepatic secretory protein that is involved in the pathology of many disorders. Recent epidemiological studies showed that serum Fetuin-A was associated with insulin resistance and its comorbidities, such as metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Hyperthyroidism involves a significant increase in the level of tissue metabolism and is often accompanied by abnormal glucose tolerance and insulin resistance. Aim The aim of this work is to study the relationship between serum Fetuin-A and insulin resistance in patients with hyperthyroidism. Participants and methods Our study was carried out on 35 newly diagnosed patients with hyperthyroidism (group I) and 20 healthy individuals matched for age and sex as controls (group II). Fetuin-A, fasting insulin, fasting blood glucose, free T3, free T4, thyroid stimulating hormone, total serum calcium, and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein were measured before and after euthyroidism was established. Results Significantly higher levels of serum Fetuin-A were noted in the patient group before treatment compared with the control group. There was a significant decrease in serum Fetuin-A in the patients after treatment in comparison with before treatment. There was an insignificant difference between the patients after treatment and the control group in terms of serum Fetuin-A. Fetuin-A was correlated positively with Homeostasis Model of Assessment-Insulin Resistance, High-sensitivity C-reactive protein, fT3, and fT4, whereas there was a negative correlation between thyroid stimulating hormone and Fetuin-A. Conclusion This study provides direct evidence for a relationship between serum Fetuin-A and insulin resistance in patients with hyperthyroidism.