Assessment of Serum FABP-4 Levels in Hypothyroidism Patients: A Comparative Analysis With a Control Group and Their Correlation With Liver Function Tests and Biochemical Factors

Background

The association of serum FABP4 and other biochemical-related parameters is important to determine complications of hypothyroidism. This study aimed to evaluate serum FABP-4 levels in hypothyroidism patients in comparison with a control group.

Materials and Methods

Forty-five patients with hypothyroidism and 45 healthy volunteers were included in this study. Liver function tests, thyroid hormones panel, lipid profile and serum FABP-4 levels were measured and compared in both groups, and their correlations were analysed.

Results

Serum FABP-4 levels were significantly higher in patients with hypothyroidism compared to the control group (p = 0.002), and serum FABP-4 level in males was higher than it in females (p = 0.022). There was a significant difference between patients with hypothyroidism and the control group in the levels of AST (p = 0.012). Moreover, serum FABP-4 levels were negatively correlated with age (p = 0.016) and positively correlated with weight (p = 0.044).

Conclusion

In our study, there was a notable increase in serum FABP-4 concentration among hypothyroidism subjects. The data suggest that FABP-4 could potentially be a superior diagnostic indicator for hypothyroidism when contrasted with a control cohort in future studies.