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Lampropoulou E, Benz C, Kahaly GJ, Führer D. Thyroid Inflammation and Immunity During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Comprehensive Review and Case Study. Horm Metab Res 2024; 56:111-117. [PMID: 38049146 DOI: 10.1055/a-2222-6300] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/06/2023]
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the development of various vaccines. Reports have emerged suggesting a possible association between SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and the onset of thyroid diseases. This review explores the clinical aspects of thyroid disorders following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination, including a case report of a patient with concomitant subacute thyroiditis (SAT) and Graves' disease (GD) with blocking thyrotropin receptor autoantibodies (TSH-R-Ab) following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. SAT, characterized by transient inflammation of the thyroid gland, has been reported after SARS-CoV-2 vaccination. GD, an autoimmune hyperthyroidism, has also been observed post-vaccination, often with stimulating TSH-R-Ab. Graves' orbitopathy (GO) has been associated with SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with a history of immune thyroid disease. The unique case underscores a very rare thyroid condition of functional hypothyroidism in possible relation to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination and the usefulness of functional analysis of TSH-R-Ab that can provide valuable insights into disease pathogenesis and help to guide treatment. This review highlights the need for continued monitoring and awareness of potential thyroid-related complications following SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleni Lampropoulou
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Claus Benz
- Department of Gastroenterology, Ev. Klinikum Koeln-Weyertal, Koeln, Germany
| | - George J Kahaly
- Dept. of Medicine I, Gutenberg University Hospital, Mainz, Germany
| | - Dagmar Führer
- Department of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, University Hospital Essen, Essen, Germany
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Okamura K, Sato K, Fujikawa M, Bandai S, Ikenoue H, Kitazono T. Painless thyroiditis mimicking relapse of hyperthyroidism during or after potassium iodide or thionamide therapy for Graves' disease resulting in remission. Endocr J 2023; 70:207-222. [PMID: 36351595 DOI: 10.1507/endocrj.ej22-0207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The diagnosis of painless thyroiditis (PT) during antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment of Graves' disease (GD) is difficult. We evaluated the thyroidal radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU) in 100 patients with relapsed thyrotoxicosis during or after careful ATD treatment. The RAIU was <5%/5 h in 35 patients (35%) (Group A - PT), 5%-15%/5 h in 6 patients (6%) (Group B - indefinite) and >15%/5 h in 59 patients (59%) (Group C - relapsed GD [rGD]). TSH receptor antibody (TBII) was positive in 4 (11.4%), 3 (50.0%) and 39 (only 66.1%) patients in Groups A, B and C, respectively. In Group A, the serum fT4 level spontaneously normalized after 35 (26-56) days, sometimes followed by transient hypothyroidism, confirming the diagnosis of PT. Nineteen (54.3%) had been treated with potassium iodide, and PT frequently occurred ironically when the ATD dosage was reduced. PT repeatedly occurred in nine patients. All went into remission smoothly or developed hypothyroidism, except one patient with strongly positive TBII who developed rGD after the resolution of PT (PT on GD). In 10 (50%) of 20 patients with negative TBII despite rGD in Group C, TBII became positive afterwards. In conclusion, it is important to recognize that PT can occur in the clinical course of GD, resulting in frequent remission despite relapse of PT. The thyroid function reflects the balance between the stimulating TBII activity and the responsiveness of the thyroid tissue (sometimes unresponsive and other times autostimulated). The RAIU is still a valuable tool in cases of ambiguous thyrotoxicosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Okamura
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Kaori Sato
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Megumi Fujikawa
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Sachiko Bandai
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Ikenoue
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
| | - Takanari Kitazono
- Department of Medicine and Clinical Science, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
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Abstract
Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is an orbital autoimmune disorder and the main extrathyroidal manifestation of Graves' disease, the most common cause of hyperthyroidism. GO affects about 30% of Graves' patients, although fewer than 10% have severe forms requiring immunosuppressive treatments. Management of GO requires a multidisciplinary approach. Medical therapies for active moderate-to-severe forms of GO (traditionally, high-dose glucocorticoids) often provide unsatisfactory results, and subsequently surgeries are often needed to cure residual manifestations. The aim of this review is to provide an updated overview of current concepts regarding the epidemiology, pathogenesis, assessment, and treatment of GO, and to present emerging targeted therapies and therapeutic perspectives. Original articles, clinical trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses from 1980 to 2021 were searched using the following terms: Graves' disease, Graves' orbitopathy, thyroid eye disease, glucocorticoids, orbital radiotherapy, rituximab, cyclosporine, azathioprine, teprotumumab, TSH-receptor antibody, smoking, hyperthyroidism, hypothyroidism, thyroidectomy, radioactive iodine, and antithyroid drugs. Recent studies suggest a secular trend toward a milder phenotype of GO. Standardized assessment at a thyroid eye clinic allows for a better general management plan. Treatment of active moderate-to-severe forms of GO still relies in most cases on high-dose systemic-mainly intravenous-glucocorticoids as monotherapy or in combination with other therapies-such as mycophenolate, cyclosporine, azathioprine, or orbital radiotherapy-but novel biological agents-including teprotumumab, rituximab, and tocilizumab-have achieved encouraging results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luigi Bartalena
- Department of Medicine and SurgeryUniversity of InsubriaVareseItaly
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Yorulmaz G, Sahin Tekin M. SARS-CoV-2 vaccine-associated subacute thyroiditis. J Endocrinol Invest 2022; 45:1341-1347. [PMID: 35182366 PMCID: PMC8857746 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-022-01767-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE With coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), subacute thyroiditis (SAT) cases are on the rise all over the world. COVID-19 vaccine-associated SAT cases have also been reported. In this article, we present our data on 11 vaccine-associated SAT cases. METHODS Eleven patients were included in the study. Type of the vaccines patients received, time to the occurrence of SAT after vaccination, symptoms and laboratory findings, treatment given, and response to treatment were evaluated. RESULTS The age of patients ranged from 26 to 73. Four of the patients were males, and seven were females. Symptoms of six patients were seen after BNT162b2 Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 mRNA vaccine®, and four of them after Coronavac inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine®. In one patient, SAT developed after the first dose of BNT162b2, administered after two doses of Coronavac. The average time to the onset of symptoms was 22 days (15-37) after vaccination. CONCLUSIONS The fact that both whole virus containing and genetic material containing vaccines cause SAT suggests that the trigger may be viral proteins rather than the whole viral particle. Although corticosteroids are commonly preferred in published vaccine-associated SAT cases, we preferred nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy in our patients for sufficient vaccine antibody response. There is not enough information about whether patients who develop SAT can be revaccinated safely considering the ongoing pandemic. Further research is needed for a conclusion in the treatment and revaccination of these patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- G Yorulmaz
- Faculty of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Department of Internal Medicine, Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey
| | - M Sahin Tekin
- Faculty of Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey.
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Abstract
Objective Painless thyroiditis (PT) is characterized by transient hyperthyroidism with a low 99mTc uptake. We herein describe 11 cases of PT that occurred during treatment with potassium iodide (KI) for Graves' disease (GD). Methods From August 2016 to December 2018, 11 women with GD who developed PT during treatment with KI were enrolled. Of these patients, 10 discontinued antithyroid drug (ATD) because of side effects and began KI, and 1 patient switched from thiamazole to KI because she was planning a pregnancy. The mean patient age was 40.1 years old. Thyroid function tests, thyroid autoantibodies including anti thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb), anti-thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb), and M22-TRAb, and the 99mTc uptake were evaluated at the time of PT. Results All 11 women patients presented with transient thyrotoxicosis in which 99mTc scans revealed a low uptake of 0.34±0.15% (normal 0.70-1.02%). M22-TRAb was absent in all cases except for one (2.4 IU/L), whereas TgAb and TPOAb were present in 10 and 6 cases, respectively. Ten patients returned to a euthyroid status without passing through the post-hypothyroid phase, and one patient underwent total thyroidectomy during the euthyroid phase of PT. Only four patients require beta-blocker therapy. All patients with KI-induced PT except 1 displayed GD remission during a mean observation period of 23.3 months, and 1 patient had recurrence of GD after PT. Conclusion We encountered 11 GD patients who developed PT during treatment with KI, which was initiated after ATD had been discontinued due to side effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keiichi Kamijo
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kamijo Thyroid Clinic, Japan
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Chung JH. Antithyroid Drug Treatment in Graves' Disease. Endocrinol Metab (Seoul) 2021; 36:491-499. [PMID: 34130446 PMCID: PMC8258321 DOI: 10.3803/enm.2021.1070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Graves' disease is associated with thyrotropin (TSH) receptor stimulating antibody, for which there is no therapeutic agent. This disease is currently treated through inhibition of thyroid hormone synthesis or destruction of the thyroid gland. Recurrence after antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment is common. Recent studies have shown that the longer is the duration of use of ATD, the higher is the remission rate. Considering the relationship between clinical outcomes and iodine intake, recurrence of Graves' disease is more common in iodine-deficient areas than in iodine-sufficient areas. Iodine restriction in an iodine-excessive area does not improve the effectiveness of ATD or increase remission rates. Recently, Danish and Korean nationwide studies noted significantly higher prevalence of birth defects in newborns exposed to ATD during the first trimester compared to that of those who did not have such exposure. The prevalence of birth defects was lowest when propylthiouracil (PTU) was used and decreased by only 0.15% when methimazole was changed to PTU in the first trimester. Therefore, it is best not to use ATD in the first trimester or to change to PTU before pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jae Hoon Chung
- Division of Endocrinology & Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Thyroid Center, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea
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Meng Z, Zhang G, Sun H, Tan J, Yu C, Tian W, Li W, Yang Z, Zhu M, He Q, Zhang Y, Han S. Differentiation between Graves' disease and painless thyroiditis by diffusion-weighted imaging, thyroid iodine uptake, thyroid scintigraphy and serum parameters. Exp Ther Med 2015; 9:2165-2172. [PMID: 26136954 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2015.2430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to assess the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), thyroid radioactive iodine uptake (RAIU), thyroid scintigraphy and thyrotropin receptor antibody (TRAb) levels in the differential diagnosis between Graves' disease (GD) and painless thyroiditis (PT). A total of 102 patients with GD and 37 patients with PT were enrolled in the study. DWI was obtained with a 3.0-T magnetic resonance scanner, and ADC values were calculated. RAIU and thyroid scintigraphy were performed. Tissue samples were obtained from patients with GD (6 cases) following thyroidectomy, and from patients with PT (2 cases) following biopsy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn, optimal cut-off values were selected, and the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV) were assessed. It was found that the ADC, TRAb and RAIU were significantly higher in GD than in PT (P<0.05). ROC curves showed areas under the curves for RAIU, ADC and TRAb that were >0.900. RAIU was the reference method. Sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, PPV and NPV were 96.078, 91.892, 95.000, 97.059 and 89.474% for ADC, and 88.235, 75.676, 84.892, 90.909 and 70.000% for TRAb, after the optimal thresholds of 1.837×10-3 mm2/sec and 1.350 IU/ml were determined respectively. Histopathology showed that tissue cellularity in PT was much higher than in GD due to massive lymphocytic infiltration. The results of the present study indicate that RAIU, ADC and TRAb are of diagnostic value for differentiating between GD and PT. DWI has great potential for thyroid pathophysiological imaging because it reflects differences in tissue cellularity between GD and PT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaowei Meng
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Guizhi Zhang
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Haoran Sun
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Jian Tan
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Chunshun Yu
- Department of Radiology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Weijun Tian
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Weidong Li
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Zhiqiang Yang
- Department of General Surgery, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Mei Zhu
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Qing He
- Department of Endocrinology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Yujie Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China
| | - Shugao Han
- Department of Nuclear Medicine, Tianjin Medical University General Hospital, Tianjin 300052, P.R. China ; Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310000, P.R. China
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Abstract
We describe a patient with right adrenal tumor detected incidentally. The tumor was diagnosed as pheochromocytoma by endocrinological and radiological studies, and was removed surgically. Graves' disease, which had been in remission for more than two decades after discontinuation of antithyroid drug treatment, relapsed during preoperative evaluation of pheochromocytoma when the patient was treated with alpha- and beta1-adrenergic antagonists. Administration of methimazole resulted in a rapid improvement of thyroid function and the patient remained euthyroid on small doses of methimazole. This case may suggest possible involvement of excessive catecholamine secretion and beta2-adrenergic receptor activation by pheochromocytoma in the relapse of Graves' disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michiaki Abe
- Division of Nephrology, Endocrinology and Vascular Medicine, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Aoba-Sendai, Japan
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