Background: Both selenium and vitamin D were found to reduce thyroid antibody titers in women with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Methods: The study enrolled 37 young drug-naïve euthyroid men with autoimmune thyroiditis, who were treated for 6 months with either exogenous vitamin D (group A, n = 20) or selenomethionine (group B, n = 17). Serum titers of thyroid peroxidase and thyroglobulin antibodies, serum levels of thyrotropin and free thyroid hormones, serum levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, as well Jostel's thyrotropin, the SPINA-GT and the SPINA-GD indices were determined at the beginning and at the end of the study.
Results: At baseline, there were no differences between the study groups. Both vitamin D and selenomethionine reduced antibody titers and increased the SPINA-GT index. Only selenomethionine affected the SPINA-GD index, while only vitamin D increased 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels. Neither selenomethionine nor vitamin D significantly affected thyrotropin and free thyroid hormone levels. The effect of vitamin D on antibody titers correlated with baseline and treatment-induced changes in serum levels of 25-hydroxivitamin D.
Conclusions: Both vitamin D and selenomethionine have a beneficial effect on thyroid autoimmunity in drug-naïve men with Hashimoto's thyroiditis.
Keywords: Selenium; Thyroid autoimmunity; Thyroid function tests; Vitamin D.
Copyright © 2018 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.