The correlation between triiodothyronine and the severity of liver fibrosis

Abstract

Background The severity of liver fibrosis is an important predictor of death in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). However, there is still no definite conclusion on the relationship between triiodothyronine (T3) and the severity of liver fibrosis. Thus, the aim of this study was to analyze the correlation between T3 level and the severity of liver fibrosis. Methods We performed a cross-sectional study of 2072 T2DM patients with normal thyroid function from January 2017 to January 2020. NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), Fibrosis index based on the 4 factors (FIB-4) and BARD score (BARD) were used to assess the severity of fibrosis in T2DM patients, and linear regression analyses were used to determine the factors independently associated with liver fibrosis. Further experiments were performed to assess the impact of low T3 on fibrosis progression in mice model and explore possible mechanisms. Results Free triiodothyronine (fT3) levels had significantly inverse correlations with NFS and FIB-4, and BARD in T2DM patients (P < 0.05). In multiple linear regression analyses, decreased fT3 level was an independent risk factor for the severity of liver fibrosis of T2DM patients (P < 0.01). Findings from in-vivo experiment using mice model proved that hypothyroidism mice had more severe of liver fibrosis than those mice with normal thyroid function. We also found that T3 could inhibit the profibrotic TREM2+CD9+ macrophage, which had been identified an important player in the progression of liver fibrosis. Conclusion The findings from this study proved an inverse correlation between T3 level and the severity of liver fibrosis, and lower fT3 level within the normal range was an independent risk factor for severe liver fibrosis.

The Free Triiodothyronine, Gamma-Glutamyl Transpeptidase and Spontaneous Bacterial Peritonitis Index: A Novel Model for Predicting 1-Year Mortality in Patients with HBV-Related Hepatic Encephalopathy

“… 19 The impact of FT3 on hepatic stellate cells remains unclear. 20 Additionally, it is speculated that reducing intrahepatic lipid levels and restoring mitochondrial function in hepatocytes may play a role. 21 In our study, FT3 emerged as an independent risk factor for 1-year mortality in HE, suggesting that thyroid hormone replacement could be a potential treatment.…”

Correlation Between Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) and Liver Function Test Values in North Karnataka Patients Admitted to a Tertiary Care Hospital

“…Hyperthyroidism can also increase levels of TBG, affecting hormone transport. Additionally, conditions like cirrhosis can decrease TBG levels due to impaired liver function, complicating the interpretation of thyroid function tests [8][9][10][11][12][13][14]. These dynamics illustrate the interconnected nature of thyroid function, enzyme activity, and systemic health.…”

“…Recent studies have further explored the relationship between thyroid function and liver health. The First Affiliated Hospital of Xiamen University performed a cross-sectional study from 2017 to 2020 [13], but they could not find a clear link between T3 levels and the severity of liver fibrosis in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) [13,14]. Recent research has unveiled that diminished thyroid function is linked to a heightened risk of advanced fibrosis in individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), indicating that thyroid activity may play a role in liver health [15][16][17][18].…”