How is the Thyroid Gland Doing After COVID-19 Infection?

New research shows that there is a clear link between thyroid dysfunction and COVID-19 disease through various mechanisms.

Severe COVID-19 disease affects thyroid function through a variety of mechanisms according to a new study going to be presented during the 24th European Congress of Endocrinology on 23 May 2022 in Milan, Italy.

Everything About Thyroid Gland

Thyroiditis - Types, Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment
Thyroiditis is the inflammation of the thyroid gland. Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis is the most common type of thyroiditis.

‘Thyroid dysfunction during moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease is mild and transient, and thyroid hormones correlate with disease severity.’

The thyroid function is crucial to the human body's metabolism, growth, and development. By continuously releasing a stable amount of thyroid hormones into the bloodstream, it aids in the regulation of numerous body functions.

The thyroid gland generates extra hormones when the body needs more energy in particular situations, such as when it is growing, cold, or pregnant.

The new study followed patients with thyroid dysfunction correlated to COVID-19 disease for one year, to better characterize such thyroid involvement and to follow its evolution over time.

Thyroid Disease and Mental Disorders
Brain–thyroid relationships are less apparent in the adult brain, though important. These are more significant in a developing brain.

Does COVID-19 Affect Thyroid Gland?

During moderate-to-severe COVID-19 disease the occurrence of thyroiditis (inflammation of the thyroid gland) plays an important role in thyroid dysfunction, in addition to other well-known mechanisms mainly acting on the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid axis.

Thyroid Tests During Pregnancy
Thyroid tests during pregnancy like TSH and free T4 can help to detect thyroid problems. Hypothyroidism is more common during pregnancy as compared to hyperthyroidism.

The hormone imbalance is usually mild but increases in severe cases of COVID-19.

The study looked at more than 100 patients admitted to hospital with severe COVID-19, analyzing their thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and other indicators.

Screening Tests for Thyroid Dysfunction
High or low thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level is indicative of a dysfunctional thyroid.

Thyroiditis occurred frequently in the COVID-19 patient population and the thyroid function, as well as inflammatory indicators, returned to normal in nearly all instances shortly after the end of their COVID-19 illness.

However, after 12 months thyroiditis regions remained visible at thyroid ultrasound in half of the individuals, even if reduced in size.

The thyroid uptake of technetium or iodine, an indicator of thyroid function, was still reduced in four out of six individuals at nine months, although it had mostly recovered after 12 months. The long-term clinical consequences, if any, are unknown.

The follow-up analysis was conducted in 75/183 (41%) patients; thyroid function and inflammatory markers normalized at all time points in nearly all cases and no increase in thyroid autoantibodies positivity was observed.

The thyroiditis areas, even if often reduced in size, were still present after 6 and 12 months in 13/15 (87%) and 6/12 (50%) patients, respectively. After 9 months the thyroid uptake at 99mTc/I123 scintigraphy was still reduced in 4/6 (67%) patients, even if partially recovered (mean+28%) compared with baseline.

The association of thyroiditis areas with low TSH and high FT4 and IL-6 serum concentrations support the hypothesis of direct thyroid gland involvement in COVID-19 infection.

Source-Medindia