Lipoprotein (A)‎, lipid profile and mean platelet volume in hypothyroid patients in Sana'a, Yemen : a case-control study

Abstract EN

Objectives : This study aimed to measure lipoprotein (a) [Lp(a)], lipid profile and mean platelet volume (MPV) in hypothyroid patients compared to healthy controls.

Methods : An unmatched case-control study was conducted involving 100 subjects (50 overt hypothyroidism patients and 50 healthy controls admitted to the University of Science and Technology Hospital, Al-Thawra Hos-pital and Al-Jomhori Hospital- Sana'a, Yemen during the period from May 2013 to March 2014.

Data were col-lected by in-person interview using a structured questionnaire followed by weight and height measurements.

Fresh blood samples were collected and analyzed using electrochemiluminescent, spectrophotometric and im-munoturbidimetric methods for estimating Lp(a), lipid profile and MPV parameters.

Results : Hypothyroid patients had a significantly higher concentration of Lp(a) compared to the control.

Total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were also significantly higher in hypothyroid patients.

Serum level of free triiodothyronine (FT3) was negatively correlated with Lp(a), TC and LDL-C (r = –0.380, p = 0.007; r = –0.354, p = 0.012; r = –0.350, p=0.013, respectively).

However, serum thy-roid-stimulating hormone was positively correlated with Lp(a), TC and LDL-C (r = 0.344, p = 0.015; r = 0.299, p = 0.035; r = 0.405, p=0.004, respectively) among hypothyroid patients.

MPV levels, on the other hand, showed a strong positive correlation with (r=0.611, p=0.001).

Conclusions : These findings indicate that overt hypothyroidism patients tend to have increased Lp(a) and ath-erogenic lipids that may contribute to increasing risk of atherosclerosis.

However, hypothyroid patients showed no significant difference compared to the controls regarding the MPV