CORRELATION BETWEEN MIRNA-206, MIRNA-155 AND THYROID FUNCTION IN PATIENTS WITH HYPERTHYROIDISM AND THE VALUE OF EVALUATING RECURRENCE

Lin Ai, Dandan Chen, Yunhua Shan, Xuedan Zhao, Yinghong Sun, Ying Cui#

Department of Endocrinology, Affiliated Hospital of Chifeng University, Chifeng, PR China

Objective: This paper analysed the correlation between microRNA206, microRNA155, and thyroid function in patients with hyperthyroidism and examined the value of evaluating recurrence. 

Method: Eighty-four patients with hyperthyroidism admitted to our department from May 2016 to October 2018 were enrolled in the study. All patients were randomly assigned to either a recurrent group (n=35) or a non-recurrent group comprised of patients with good prognosis (n=49). Fifty healthy people who came to the hospital for physical examination were the control group. Thyroid function indices [triiodothyroxine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyrotropin (TSH), upper thyroid artery diameter (STA-D), and maximum blood flow velocity of the upper thyroid artery (STA-Vmax)] were observed for each group. Expression changes of serum miRNA-206 and miRNA-155 were detected in all patients. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to analyse the correlation between miRNA-206, miRNA-155, and thyroid function. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used for evaluating recurrence after hyperthyroidism treatment. 

Results: Serum levels of T3 and T4, STA-D, and STA-Vmax were significantly higher and TSH levels were significantly lower in patients with hyperthyroidism and recurrence than those in the control group and the good prognosis group (P<0.01). Serum miRNA-206 levels in patients with hyperthyroidism and relapse were significantly lower than those in the control group and the prognosis group (P<0.01), and miRNA-155 levels were significantly higher in the control group and the good prognosis group (P<0.01). There was a significant negative correlation between miRNA-206 and miRNA-155 in the recurrent group (r=-0.581, P<0.05). Further, miRNA-206 was found to be significantly positively correlated with TSH (P<0.05), and miRNA-206 significantly negatively correlated with T3, T4, STA-D, and STA-Vmax (P<0.05). MiRNA-155 was significantly negatively correlated with TSH (P<0.05) and positively correlated with T3, T4, STA-D, and STA-Vmax (P<0.05). The ROC curve analysis showed that the area under curve (AUC) of miRNA-206 and miRNA-155 for hyperthyroidism was 0.749 and 0.781, sensitivity was 72.1% and 80.6%, and specificity was 76.0% and 76.2%, respectively, suggesting that miRNA-206 and miRNA-155 have clinical value in the diagnosis of hyperthyroidism. 

Conclusion: miRNA-206 and miRNA-155 levels are significantly correlated with thyroid function and have high clinical value for predicting recurrence after hyperthyroidism.