Why might selenium and inflammation matter in thyroid disease?
Plasma levels of Th17‐associated cytokines and selenium status in autoimmune thyroid diseases
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Th17 cytokines correlated with thyroid hormone levels in Graves’ but not with anti-TSHR antibodies.
Everyone assumed autoantibodies drive Graves’ disease—but this study shows inflammation (Th17) tracks with hormone severity, not antibody levels, suggesting two separate pathways.
Practical Takeaways
Get your serum selenium tested if you have Hashimoto’s—aim for levels above 95 µg/L, especially if antibodies are high.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare professional. Terms
Surprising Findings
Th17 cytokines correlated with thyroid hormone levels in Graves’ but not with anti-TSHR antibodies.
Everyone assumed autoantibodies drive Graves’ disease—but this study shows inflammation (Th17) tracks with hormone severity, not antibody levels, suggesting two separate pathways.
Practical Takeaways
Get your serum selenium tested if you have Hashimoto’s—aim for levels above 95 µg/L, especially if antibodies are high.
Publication
Journal
Immunity, Inflammation and Disease
Year
2021
Authors
Tatjana Zaķe, I. Kalere, Sabīne Upmale-Engela, Š. Svirskis, Gita Gersone, A. Šķesters, V. Groma, I. Konrāde
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Claims (6)
People with lower levels of selenium in their bodies have a higher likelihood of developing autoimmune responses, which involve the immune system reacting against the body's own tissues.
In people with Graves' disease, certain inflammatory signaling molecules (IL-17a, IL-22, IL-23, and IL-10) tend to increase or decrease together, but their levels do not relate to the levels of autoantibodies that target the thyroid-stimulating hormone receptor.
In people with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, lower levels of selenium in the blood are linked to higher levels of antibodies that attack the thyroid gland, even when overall selenium levels are not deficient compared to healthy individuals.
In people with Graves' disease, higher levels of two thyroid hormones, FT3 and FT4, are associated with higher levels of certain inflammatory signaling molecules called IL-17a, IL-23, and IL-10, regardless of the levels of autoantibodies present.
Measurements of five specific immune proteins in the blood are not consistently different between people with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, and people without autoimmune thyroid disease, meaning these proteins cannot be used to tell these conditions apart from each other or from healthy states.