Subclinical hypothyroidism and its correlation with lipid profile and histopathological changes of the thyroid gland of camels (camelus dromedarius)‎

الملخص EN

Hypothyroidism is the most common type of thyroid disorder in animals.

The present study aimed to determine the relationship between the subclinical abnormalities of the thyroid gland and blood serum lipid contents in camels.

Slaughtered male camels (156 camels, 4-6 years old) in Assiut abattoirs were thoroughly examined pre- and postmortem for the thyroid abnormalities.

Blood was sampled from each camel for serum separation.

Before slaughtering, no visible changes in the neck region were observed.

According to growth and histopathological examinations of the thyroid gland, blood sera of 28 camels were selected and classified into 3 groups.

The first group (G1, N=10) suffered from simple goiter; the gland was normal in size, but firm with irregular surface.

Follicles were mildly irregular in shape with slight hyperplasia of the epithelial cells.

The second (G2, N=8) suffered from non-toxic nodular goiter, lobs showed nodules, which appear typically as a solitary, spherical, encapsulated lesions.

Follicles were diffusely enlarged, dilated with varying sizes and hyperplastic epithelium.

The third was a control group (G3, N=10) with normal thyroid gland.

The recorded values of blood serum thyroid hormones (nmol/l) were 1.21±0.04 for T3 and 79.6±2.14 for T4.

These values did not change in camels with simple goiter, but decreased (P<0.01) in those with non-toxic nodular goiter when compared with euthyroid camels.

Total lipids and triglycerides increased in camels with simple goiter (P<0.05), but in camels with nodular goiter there were a higher values (P<0.01) in total lipids, cholesterol and triglycerides compared with healthy camels.

As a conclusion, thyroid disorders and the concomitant hypothyroidism is associated with lipid disturbances that are characterized by elevated total lipids, triglycerides and cholesterol levels in camels with non-toxic nodular goiter.