Acute exacerbation of Hashimoto's thyroiditis in a patient treated with dimethyl fumarate for multiple sclerosis: A case report

Thyroid Disorders in Patients Treated with Dimethyl Fumarate for Multiple Sclerosis: A Retrospective Observational Study

Background: Dimethyl fumarate (DMF), a drug used for the treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS) and psoriasis, has been shown to activate the Keap1/Nrf2 antioxidant response. Nrf2 exerts pleiotropic roles in the thyroid gland; among others, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the gene encoding Nrf2 modulate the risk of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT), suggesting that pharmacological activation of Nrf2 might also be protective. However, a patient with acute exacerbation of HT after starting DMF for MS was recently reported, raising questions about the thyroidal safety of Nrf2 activators. Methods: In a retrospective observational study, we investigated the prevalence and incidence of thyroid disorders (TD) among 163 patients with MS treated with DMF. Results: Only 7/163 patients (4.3%) were diagnosed with functional TD; most (5/163, 3.0%) were diagnosed before DMF treatment. Functional TD were diagnosed under or after DMF in only 2 patients (1.2%). Under DMF, one patient developed transient mild hypothyroidism with negative thyroid autoantibodies. After DMF discontinuation, another patient developed hyperthyroidism due to Graves’ disease. No patient developed thyroid structural disease under or after DMF. Conclusions: The very low incidence of functional TD indicates an overall very good thyroid tolerance of DMF, arguing against screening for TD in MS patients considered for or treated with DMF, and supporting the further study of Nrf2 activators for the prevention and treatment of TD.

Clinical effect of methimazole combined with selenium in the treatment of toxic diffuse goiter in children

BACKGROUND

The incidence of toxic diffuse goiter (Graves’ disease) is higher in adolescents and preschool-aged children, with an upward trend. The incidence at 6–13 years of age is approximately 11.0%, and the incidences in men and women are 7.8% and 14.3%, respectively.

AIM

To explore the clinical effect of methimazole combined with selenium in the treatment of toxic diffuse goiter (Graves’ disease) in children and its effect on serum anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TRAb) and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb).

METHODS

A total of 103 children with Graves’ disease treated in our hospital from January 2018 to June 2021 were divided into a traditional group and a combined group (15-20 mg methimazole orally given to children) and a combined group (50 µg selenium added on the basis of traditional treatment) according to different treatment methods to explore the therapeutic effects of the two methods and to observe the changes in thyroid volume and serum TRAb, TPOAb, free thyroxine (FT4) and inflammatory factor levels before and after treatment. The time taken for FT4 to return to normal was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Treatment was significantly more effective in the combined group than in the traditional group (P < 0.05). The thyroid volumes of the children in the two groups was measured before and after treatment. Thyroid volume decreased significantly after treatment in both groups, and the thyroid volume was significantly lower in the combined group than in the traditional group (P < 0.05). The serum levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, TRAb, TPOAb and FT4 in the two groups were detected before and after treatment. The levels of IL-6, IL-8, TRAb, TPOAb and FT4 were significantly lower in the combined group than in the traditional group (P < 0.05). Follow-up of the children in the two groups showed that compared with the traditional group, it took less time for children in the combined group to return to the normal level (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSION

Methimazole combined with selenium can effectively treat Graves’ disease in children, reduce the expression of TRAb, TPOAb, FT4 and inflammatory factors, and improve the curative effect. Thus, the combined treatment warrants further clinical research.

The Keap1/Nrf2 Signaling Pathway in the Thyroid-2020 Update

The thyroid gland has a special relationship with oxidative stress. On the one hand, like all other tissues, it must defend itself against reactive oxygen species (ROS). On the other hand, unlike most other tissues, it must also produce reactive oxygen species in order to synthesize its hormones that contribute to the homeostasis of other tissues. The thyroid must therefore also rely on antioxidant defense systems to maintain its own homeostasis in the face of continuous self-exposure to ROS. One of the main endogenous antioxidant systems is the pathway centered on the transcription factor Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) and its cytoplasmic inhibitor Kelch-like ECH-associated protein 1 (Keap1). Over the last few years, multiple links have emerged between the Keap1/Nrf2 pathway and thyroid physiology, as well as various thyroid pathologies, including autoimmunity, goiter, hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and cancer. In the present mini-review, we summarize recent studies shedding new light into the roles of Keap1/Nrf2 signaling in the thyroid.