Serum Levels of Soluble Receptor for Advanced Glycation End Products Are Reduced in Euthyroid Children with Newly Diagnosed Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Objective: No data are available on advanced glycation end products (AGEs) and their soluble receptor (sRAGE) in pediatric patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT). The present study was aimed to simultaneously evaluate serum levels of sRAGE, AGEs, and advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) and investigate the relationships between these oxidative stress markers and clinical and biochemical parameters of thyroid function in euthyroid children with HT. Design: This is a case-control study carried out in a single university hospital center. Methods: We enrolled 19 newly diagnosed euthyroid HT pediatric patients (3 M, 16 F; median age 12.44 years, range 6.54–15.81 years) and 16 age-, sex-, and BMI-matched healthy controls (5 M, 11 F; median age 12.83 years, range 5.68–15.07 years). None was on levothyroxine treatment. The exclusion criteria were autoimmune, inflammatory, and infection comorbidities. Patients did not differ significantly from controls with regard to lipid or for anthropometric parameters. Results: sRAGE levels were significantly lower in HT patients (median 414.30 pg/mL, range 307.30–850.30 pg/mL) than in controls (561.30, 273.20–1121.60 pg/mL; p = 0.034). No differences emerged between patients and controls with regard to serum AGEs (124.25 AU/g prot, 71.98–186.72 vs. 133.90, 94.06–200.78 AU/g prot, p = 0.707) and AOPPs (1.13 nmol/mL, 0.62–1.83 vs. 1.17, 0.76–1.42 nmol/mL, p = 0.545). Conclusions: sRAGE levels were decreased in euthyroid children/adolescents at the onset of HT, suggesting that autoimmunity per se seems to play an important role in such a reduction of sRAGE, irrespective of any functional alteration. Children and adolescents suffering from HT may exhibit increased susceptibility to oxidative damage, even when in euthyroid status.