Serum levels of
ICAM-1 (Inter Cellular Adhesion Molecule-1),
VCAM-1 (
Vascular cell Adhesion Molecule-1-I),
TIMP-1 (
tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases 1) and
MMP-9 (Metalloproteinase 9) are well established markers of
inflammation. The physiopathological link between
inflammation,
atherosclerosis and autoimmunity is well demonstrated. However, serum levels of these
biomarkers in patients with autoimmune-mediated dysthyroidism, including their evolution after improvement of the thyroid disorder have not been assessed. So, we evaluated the circulating levels of these markers in autoimmune and in non-autoimmune-mediated dysthyroid patients, and their evolution
after treatment of
thyroid disease. We conducted a prospective study to evaluate these markers before and
after treatment in
hyperthyroid patients (n = 33; 28 patients with
autoimmune disease), hypothyroid patients (n = 38; 33 patients with
autoimmune disease) and euthyroid subjects (n = 33). At baseline, serum levels of
ICAM-1,
VCAM-1 and
TIMP-1 were significantly elevated in patients with
hyperthyroidism as compared to euthyroid and hypothyroid patients (respectively p = 0.0005 and p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, the differences remained significant for
VCAM-1 and
TIMP-1. Median levels of
ICAM-1,
VCAM-1 and
TIMP-1 were significantly higher in patients with autoimmune-mediated dysthyroidism compared to euthyroid patients (respectively p < 0.0001 and p = 0.002). In
hyperthyroid patients,
ICAM-1,
VCAM-1 and
TIMP-1 concentrations fell significantly after they had become euthyroid (respectively p = 0.0006; p < 0.0001 and p = 0.0009), although
VCAM-1 values remained higher than those observed in the control group (p = 0.005). We found that autoimmune-mediated dysthyroidism were associated with increased peripheral blood concentrations of
VCAM-1,
ICAM-1 and
TIMP-1. Whether these biological abnormalities translate into increase intima remodelling and
atherosclerosis remains to be studied.