Evaluating serum FOXs transcription factor proteins in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis: a comparative analysis

Abstract Objectives Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a complex metabolic autoimmune disease. FOXs participate in many cellular metabolic processes and control many related genes. This study aimed to investigate FOXO1, FOXP1 and FOXP2 protein levels in HT disease. Methods The study included 38 patients diagnosed with HT and 38 healthy individuals at the Department of Endocrinology and Metabolic Diseases at Sivas Cumhuriyet University Hospital. Venous blood samples were taken from the individuals in the study groups and serum was obtained. Serum FOXO1, FOXP1 and FOXP2 protein levels were analyzed using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Results Serum FOXO1 and FOXP2 protein levels were found to be lower in the HT patient group compared to the control group (p< 0.001 ). FOXP1 concentration was found to be lower in the patient group, but this decrease was not significant (p> 0.05 ). Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti TPO, antithyroglobulin (anti Tg) and AST levels were found to be higher in HT patients compared to the control group, while T4 levels were found to be lower. According to protein-protein interaction (PPI) analysis, these proteins were found to interact highly with each other and are generally involved in T cell mechanisms. Conclusions HT is a common autoimmune disease and is metabolically associated with many pathways. This cross-sectional study is only a preliminary study on the possible association between HT and FOX family proteins.