Chemerin and Sfrp5 Levels in Subclinical Hypothyroidism

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the impact of subclinical hypothyroidism on chemerin and Sfrp5 levels. Material and Methods: Forty-six individuals with subclinical hypothyroidism were enrolled in the patient group, and 49 healthy individuals were included as controls. Serum levels of chemerin and Sfrp5 were measured using the ELISA method. LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, insulin, and glucose levels were simultaneously measured in blood samples and obtained from patients' medical records. Results: In the patient group, a statistically significant positive correlation was found between chemerin and Sfrp5 levels in the Spearman correlation analysis (r = 0.704). When both the patient and control groups were evaluated together, a significant positive correlation was observed between chemerin and Sfrp5 levels (r = 0.814). Additionally, negative correlations were found between Sfrp5 and LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, triglycerides, body mass index, diastolic blood pressure, and systolic blood pressure (r =-0.320, r =-0.341, r =-0.278, r =- 0.383, r =-0.230, and r =-0.206, respectively). Conclusion: In subclinical hypothyroidism, chemerin, an inflammatory marker, tended to be elevated, while Sfrp5, an anti-inflammatory marker, tended to be reduced; however, these changes were not statistically significant. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to clarify the role of adipokines and inflammation in the development of subclinical hypothyroidism and to assess whether these parameters could serve as potential biomarkers.