AUTHOR=Lai Shuiqing , Li Jiarong , Wang Zixiao , Wang Wei , Guan Haixia 

TITLE=Sensitivity to Thyroid Hormone Indices Are Closely Associated With NAFLD

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Endocrinology

VOLUME=12

YEAR=2021

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/endocrinology/articles/10.3389/fendo.2021.766419

DOI=10.3389/fendo.2021.766419

ISSN=1664-2392

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Previous studies on the association between thyroid function and non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) have contradicted. Acquired resistance to thyroid hormone theory might provide a reasonable explanation for these contradictions. We aimed to analyze the association between sensitivity to thyroid hormone indices with NAFLD.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 4,610 individuals from the health medical center of the First Hospital of China Medical University were included in this study. The previously used thyroid feedback quantile-based index (TFQI<sub>FT4</sub>) was calculated. Also, we substituted free triiodothyronine (FT<sub>3</sub>) into the TFQI formulas to get the TFQI<sub>FT3</sub> index. NAFLD was defined using abdominal ultrasound.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Study results showed that FT<sub>3</sub>/FT<sub>4</sub> and TFQI<sub>FT3</sub> were positively correlated with the triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05) and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) level (<italic>P</italic>&lt;0.05). In contrast, TFQI<sub>FT4</sub> was positively correlated with HDL-C level (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). After adjustment for multiple confounders, FT<sub>3</sub>, FT<sub>3</sub>/FT<sub>4</sub>, and TFQI<sub>FT3</sub> were positively associated with the risks of dyslipidemia and NAFLD (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). TFQI<sub>FT3</sub> and FT<sub>3</sub>/FT<sub>4</sub> performed better than TFQI<sub>FT4</sub> on ROC analyses for NAFLD prediction, although the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-points were low. However, no association was observed between TFQI<sub>FT4</sub> with the risks of dyslipidemia and NAFLD.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusion</title><p>TFQI<sub>FT3</sub> and FT<sub>3</sub>/FT<sub>4</sub> can be used as new indicators for predicting dyslipidemia and NAFLD, although with low sensitivity and specificity at the optimal cut-points, while TFQI<sub>FT4</sub> has insufficient evidence in predicting dyslipidemia and NAFLD.</p></sec>