The researchers from the Medical University of Bialystok (Anna Krupa, Agnieszka Lebkowska, Marcin Kondraciuk, Karol Adam Kaminski, Irina Kowalska) published the article „Alteration in kynurenine pathway metabolites in young women with autoimmune thyroiditis” in Scientific Reports.
Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is a thyroid disease that results in hypothyroidism. Approximately 0.3 to 1.5 out of every 1000 subjects per year are estimated to be affected by AIT. Although the cause of AIT is not fully understood, it is thought to be due to genetic factors, exposure to environmental factors, gut microbiome composition, and past infections. Like other autoimmune diseases, AIT results from the immune system's autoimmunity towards the thyroid gland, resulting in the destruction of its cells and ultimately leading to the development of hypothyroidism.
The study aimed to investigate the alteration in KP metabolites in young women with autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and their associations with thyroid function. Moreover, it was examined which metabolites could serve as a new predictor of AIT risk. The study showed significant activation and dysregulation in KP indicated by elevation in serum levels of kynurenine (KYN) and anthranilic acid (AA), at the expense of the reduction of kynurenic acid (KYNA). Obtained results suggest that the identified metabolites may be promising biomarkers of AIT, however, it requires further studies to confirm their role in the pathogenesis of the disease.
The study was supported by the statutory Grant of the Medical University of Bialystok, No. B.SUB.23.182.
Link to the article: Alteration in kynurenine pathway metabolites in young women with autoimmune thyroiditis
