The Relationship Between Hypothyroidism and Pneumonia and Possible Prevention and Treatment Measures.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiological study has confirmed an association between hypothyroidism and pneumonia, but the causal relationship between the two remains unclear. METHODS: The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) data were used to confirm the correlation between hypothyroidism and pneumonia. Mendelian randomization (MR) studies were conducted to explore the potential causal relationship. Co-expressed differential genes were used to identify potential mechanisms and potential drugs for pneumonia treatment, CCK8 and qPCR were used to detect the safety and efficacy of potential drugs. Molecular docking and Western blot assays were used to explore potential underlying mechanism of pneumonia treatment. RESULTS: The NHANES and MR (Training set: OR=47.88, 95% CI: 8.432-271.8, P=1.3e-5; Test set: OR=1.849, 95% CI: 1.029-3.323, P=4.0e-5) analyses indicated that hypothyroidism may increase the risk of pneumonia. Moreover, increasing the usual walking pace was associated with a reduced risk of pneumonia, and sensitivity analysis indicated these results were robust. Hypothyroidism may increase the risk of pneumonia through the JAK-STAT signaling pathway. Garcinol was identified as a compound that attenuates lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced pneumonia via inhibiting the expression level of p-STAT1. CONCLUSION: Hypothyroidism may elevate the risk of pneumonia, highlighting the need for preventive measures among hypothyroid patients, such as increasing walking pace. Additionally, garcinol shows potential therapeutic effects for pneumonia management.