Thyroid hormone: a "prime suspect" in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV/AIDS) patients?

• Published in: Nigerian journal of physiological sciences Vol. 23; no. 1-2; pp. 61 - 66
• Main Authors: Amadi, K, Sabo, A M, Ogunkeye, O O, Oluwole, F S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Nigeria 01.06.2008
• Subjects: Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - blood; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - immunology; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - urine; Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome - virology; Adult; Bence Jones Protein - urine; Biomarkers - blood; Biomarkers - urine; Case-Control Studies; CD4 Lymphocyte Count; Circumcision, Male; Complement C3 - analysis; Disease Progression; Female; Globulins - analysis; HIV Infections - blood; HIV Infections - immunology; HIV Infections - urine; HIV Infections - virology; HIV Seropositivity; Humans; Hypothyroidism - blood; Hypothyroidism - complications; Hypothyroidism - urine; Male; Nigeria; Serum Albumin - analysis; Thyrotropin - blood; Thyroxine - blood; Young Adult; Nigeria
• ISSN: 0794-859X

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is the final and most serious stage of the disease caused by human immunodeficiency virus. The Immune system is the target of AIDS. We investigate presently any possible involvement of thyroid hormone, the deficiency of which gives rise to oedema and susceptibility to nonspecific infections; with a view to finding the primary factor seeding the disease. It has been reported that circumcision reduced the incidence of HIV/AIDS infection. Beyond circumcision however there might be some constitutional factor that comprises HIV infection to clinical AIDS. It is against this background that our research team turned to possible dyshormonopoisis and to thyroid hormone as a prime suspect among other possible factors that cause clinical AIDS. Moreover the hormone has been reported to be crucial for optimum immune function. A population of 200 seropositive AIDS patients were investigated against a control of 50 subjects made up of 25 healthy circumcised males and 25 healthy females; all of who were seronegative for the disease. The parameters investigated include thyrotropin (TSH), Thyroxine (T4), Total protein (TP), Albumin (Alb), Globulin (Glob), Immune complex (IC3) and Bence Jones proteins (BJP) levels in serum or urine. All seropositive clinically HIV/AIDS patients were hypothyroid. Seronegatives had significantly higher T4, TP, and Alb levels at P < 0.001 and P < 0.05 for Glob than seropositives. Seropositive females exhibited significant (P < 0.001) higher levels of IC3 than seronegative males. The globulin levels of all HIV patients were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than control. BJP was also isolated in the urine of patients. The findings suggest that thyroid hormone deficiency is a primary culprit for the other inert or dormant factors to be activated.