Serum levels of adiponectin, resistin and chemerin in patients with nodular goiter and their correlations

ObjectiveTo investigate the serum levels of adiponectin, resistin and chemerin in patients with nodular goiter and their correlations.

MethodsOne hundred and fifty patients with nodular goiter initially diagnosed in physical examination from 2017 to 2018 and 150 normal people matched with gender and age were selected.Blood samples were collected from subjects in the two groups, general clinical data were collected, and general biochemical indexes and serum levels of adiponectin, resistin and chemerin were recorded and analyzed.Body mass index(BMI) and insulin resistance index(HOMA-IR) were further measured and calculated.Correlation between the serum level of adiponectin, resistin or chemerin and the pathogenesis of nodular goiter was finally analyzed.

ResultsCompared to subjects in the control group, patients with nodular goiter showed higher levels of triglyceride(TG), low density lipoprotein(LDL-C), fasting blood glucose(FBG), HOMA-IR, adiponectin and chemerin(P < 0.01), but lower level of resistin(P < 0.01).For patients with nodular goiter, the level of adiponectin was found to be negatively correlated with fasting insulin(FINS) and HOMA-IR(P < 0.01);the level of resistin was found to be negatively correlated with TG, FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR(P < 0.05 to P < 0.01);and the level of chemerin was found to be positively correlated with TG, FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR(P < 0.01).Quartile analysis showed that the proportion of cases in either the observation group or the control group increased with the increase of the levels of adiponectin and chemerin, and the level of resistin was lower in cases of the highest quartile than those of the lowest quartile in each group.In patients with nodular goiter, compared to the normal thyroid function subgroup, hyperthyroidism subgroup exhibited an increase in the level of free triiodothyronine(FT3), free thyroxine(FT4), adiponectin and chemerin, but a decrease in the level of thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH) and resistin(P < 0.01).In the meantime, compared to the normal thyroid function subgroup, hypothyroidism subgroup showed higher levels of TSH and chemerin, but lower levels of FT3, FT4 and resistin(P < 0.01).In hyperthyroidism subgroup, level of adiponectin was negatively correlated with level of TSH(P < 0.01);level of resistin was negatively correlated with levels of TSH, FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR(P < 0.01), and positively correlated with levels of FT3 and FT4(P < 0.01);level of chemerin was negatively correlated with levels of FT3 and FT4(P < 0.01), and positively correlated with levels of TSH, FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR(P < 0.01).In hypothyroidism subgroup, while levels of adiponectin, resistin and chemerin had no significant correlation with level of FT3, FT4, TSH or TG(P>0.05), levels of adiponectin and chemerin was negatively correlated with levels of FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR(P < 0.01), and level of resistin was positively correlated with levels of FBG, FINS and HOMA-IR(P < 0.05).

ConclusionsIncrease in the serum levels of adiponectin and chemerin, and decrease in the serum level of resistin, may be related to the pathogenesis of nodular goiter.