Thyroid-pineal axis: Melatonin, circadian clock gene expression and vitamin D in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients

Shaker, Sara; Megahed, Magda; Mahfouz, Mahmoud; Hassanien, Tamer; Mahmoud, Bothaina Fouad; Salem, Tarek M

doi:10.21608/jmalexu.2025.359297.1050

	Thyroid-pineal axis: Melatonin, circadian clock gene expression and vitamin D in Hashimoto's thyroiditis patients
Journal of the Medical Research Institute
Article 1, Volume 46, Issue 1, March 2025, Page 1-11 PDF (1.11 MB)
Document Type: Original Article
DOI: 10.21608/jmalexu.2025.359297.1050
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Authors
Sara Shaker¹; Magda Megahed¹; Mahmoud Mahfouz²; Tamer Hassanien²; Bothaina Fouad Mahmoud¹; Tarek M Salem ³
¹Biochemistry Department, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University
²Department of Biochemistry, Medical Research Institute, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
³Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
Abstract
Background: There is evidence to suggest that thyroid hormone may affect circadian rhythm. Aim: Investigate changes in peripheral blood expression of circadian clock genes and melatonin and vitamin D in Egyptian women with Hashimoto Thyroiditis (HT). Methods: Case–control study included 240 females divided into two groups: (Control group): 120 euthyroid healthy females & (HT group): 120 females with HT. Serum thyroid hormones, antibodies, melatonin, (25(OH)D), ionized calcium, hemoglobin were measured, Determination of gene expression of the brain and muscle aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like 1 (BMAL-1), Period 2 (PER2), nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) , which are associated with the circadian clock. Results: Melatonin, vitamin D, ionized calcium, and hemoglobin were lower in the HT group. Expression of BMAL-1, PER2, and SIRT1 was downregulated , whereas that of NFKB, TLR4, and TNF-α was upregulated in the HT group. Conclusion: Suggests associations between HT and circadian rhythm, as reflected in the downregulation of BMAL-1 and PER2 gene expression, inflammatory response, and oxidative stress. The significant decrease in serum melatonin levels in HT patients strongly suggests an association between melatonin pathway and HT.
Keywords
Hashimoto's thyroiditis; Circadian rhythms; Melatonin; Circadian clock genes; Thyroid –pineal axis


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