Abstract
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to unveil the interleukin-17 (IL-17) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) levels in the peripheral blood of patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) and their association with thyroid function. METHODS: We selected 68 HT patients admitted to our hospital and 36 healthy individuals undergoing physical examinations as controls. Clinical data were collected, and serum IL-17 and IFN-γ levels were measured. The Pearson method was used to analyze the correlations between IL-17 and IFN-γ levels and thyroid function parameters. A logistic regression analysis model was employed to evaluate the influencing factors of HT. ROC curves were utilized to assess the diagnostic value of IL-17 and IFN-γ for the occurrence of HT. RESULTS: Serum IL-17 and IFN-γ levels were higher in both HT patients with hypothyroidism and those without hypothyroidism compared to healthy controls (P < 0.05). IL-17 levels demonstrated a positive correlation with TGAb, TPOAb, and TSH among HT patients, while showing a negative correlation with FT4 (P < 0.05). Similarly, IFN-γ levels were positively related to TGAb and TPOAb (P < 0.05). IL-17 and IFN-γ levels were identified as influencing factors for the occurrence of HT (OR: 1.012, 1.028; P < 0.05). The optimal cutoff values for distinguishing HT from healthy controls were >629.77 pg/mL for IL-17, >286.04 ng/L for IFN-γ, and (>683.02 pg/mL, >252.73 ng/L) for the combination of both. The areas under the curves were 0.854 (0.771-0.936), 0.795 (0.697-0.894), and 0.903 (0.846-0.960), respectively. CONCLUSION: Serum IL-17 and IFN-γ levels are highly expressed in HT patients, and both are closely related to thyroid function and autoantibody levels. They possessed a certain value for the early diagnosis of HT.