C. Letizia et al., INCREASED PLASMA-LEVELS OF ENDOTHELIN-1 IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM, Metabolism, clinical and experimental, 44(10), 1995, pp. 1239-1242
Plasma concentrations of endothelin-1 (ET-1) were measured in 25 hyper
thyroid subjects, 15 hypothyroid subjects, and 21 age-matched normal c
ontrols. In hyperthyroid patients, plasma concentrations of ET-1 were
significantly higher than in the control group (P < .0001) and in hypo
thyroid patients (P < .0001). In contrast, no differences were found b
etween hypothyroid patients and controls. Plasma levels of ET-1 were s
imilarly elevated as in patients with Graves' disease and those with t
oxic adenoma. No correlations were found between plasma ET-1 levels, t
hyroid hormones, and thyrotropin (TSH) in hyperthyroid, hypothyroid, a
nd euthyroid groups. The results of our study clearly indicate that in
hyperthyroidism, circulating levels of ET-1 are strongly increased, a
lthough the pathogenesis of the increase is unclear. Copyright (C) 199
5 by W.B. Saunders Company