Evaluation of Serum Adipolin Level as a Potential Marker of Metabolic and Hormonal Changes in Patients with Overt and Subclinical Hypothyroidism

Abstract Background: Adipokines are a group of cell signaling proteins produced by adipose tissue. These proteins influence appetite, obesity, and insulin sensitivity, and may interact with thyroid hormones. However, the exact relationship between thyroid hormones and adipokines remains unclear. Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare serum levels of adipolin in healthy individuals and hypothyroidism patients, including subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) and overt hypothyroidism (OH). Materials and Methods: The study’s case–control design involved 90 participants, ranging in age from 18 to 55 years Three groups of individuals were created: one group consisted of 30 individuals who had SCH, 30 had OH, and the remaining comprised the healthy control group. Anthropometric characteristics that were assessed and recorded for every individual were age, gender, height, weight, body mass index, and hormonal characteristics. Results: People with hypothyroidism had considerably lower serum adipolin levels than those with normal thyroid function ( P < 0.001). Moreover, there was a negative correlation ( r = 0.667) between adipolin levels and thyroid-stimulating hormone levels. T4 levels were positively correlated ( r = −0.214, P < 0.001). The receiver operating characteristic curve cutoff area under the curve (AUC) of 0.983, with a value of ≤18.7 in the SCH group, sensitivity of 86.7%, specificity of 100%, and a P value of < 0.001. For the OH group, the cutoff value was ≤14.43, with an AUC of 1.000, sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 100%, and a P value of <0.001. Conclusion: The results imply that blood adipolin levels, especially in those with SCH, are an effective biomarker for diagnosing and monitoring hypothyroidism. The study’s exclusion criteria confirmed that neither further medication use nor systemic problems impacted the outcomes.