ORIGINAL ARTICLE   

Panminerva Medica 2022 December;64(4):452-64

DOI: 10.23736/S0031-0808.22.04701-2

Copyright © 2022 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English

Lower circulating omentin-1 is independently linked to subclinical hypothyroidism reflecting cardiometabolic risk: an observational case-control and interventional, longitudinal study

Theodora STRATIGOU ^{1, 2}, Giovanna MUSCOGIURI ^{3, 4}, Marianna KOTOPOULI ¹, Georgios ANTONAKOS ⁵, Gerasimos S. CHRISTODOULATOS ¹, Irene KARAMPELA ⁶, Ioanna MARINOU ⁷, Dimitrios TSILINGIRIS ⁸, Natalia G. VALLIANOU ², Evaggelos VOGIATZAKIS ⁷, Maria DALAMAGA ¹ ✉

¹ Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; ² Department of Endocrinology and First Department of Internal Medicine, Evangelismos General Hospital of Athens, Athens, Greece; ³ Unit of Endocrinology, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy; ⁴ Centro Italiano per la cura e il Benessere del patiente con Obesità (C.I.B.O), Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Endocrinology Unit, University Medical School of Naples, Naples, Italy; ⁵ Laboratory of Clinical Biochemistry, Medical School, Attikon General University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; ⁶ Second Department of Critical Care, Medical School, Attikon General University Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece; ⁷ Laboratory of Microbiology, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens, Greece; ⁸ First Department of Propaedeutic Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece

BACKGROUND: Omentin-1, a newly discovered adipokine, is implicated in the modulation of the adipose phenotype, ameliorating systemic metabolism and exhibiting anti-atherogenic, anti-oxidative, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory and insulin-sensitizing properties. Our goal was to explore circulating omentin-1 in subclinical hypothyroidism (SH) and determine its correlations with cardiometabolic risk factors.
METHODS: In a large case-control and interventional longitudinal study, serum omentin-1, metabolic and lipid parameters, inflammatory biomarkers, classic adipocytokines and cardiovascular risk factors were assessed in 120 consecutive patients with SH and 120 healthy controls matched on age, gender and date of blood draw. Sixteen patients with SH were administered L-T4 and, after six months, circulating omentin-1 and other biomarkers were determined.
RESULTS: SH subjects presented significantly decreased circulating omentin-1 than control individuals (P<0.001). In all study participants, omentin-1 was negatively correlated with TSH, anti-thyroid antibodies, HOMA-IR, C-peptide, lipid and inflammatory biomarkers, adipokines and cardiovascular risk factors, including Framingham score and apolipoprotein B. Omentin-1 was positively associated with adiponectin and HDL-C. Circulating omentin-1 was independently associated with SH occurrence, above and beyond clinical and cardiometabolic factors (P=0.04). TSH was a negative independent predictor of serum omentin-1 levels (P<0.001). L-T4 treatment did not alter considerably the lower omentin-1 levels in treated SH patients (P=0.07).
CONCLUSIONS: Omentin-1 may be a useful non-invasive biomarker reflecting cardiometabolic risk as well as a promising therapeutic target. More mechanistic and larger prospective studies shedding light on the pathogenetic role of omentin-1 in SH are required to confirm these findings.

KEY WORDS: Adipokines; Adiponectin; Cardiovascular system; Hypothyroidism; Lipids; Thyroid