Objective. Thyroid hormones play an important role in the development and maturation of the central nervous symptom and their failure in the prenatal period leading to an irreversible brain damage. Their effect on the brain of adult, however, has not been fully studied. With the discovery of neurogenesis in the adult brain, many recent studies have been focused on the understanding the basic mechanisms controlling this process. Many neurogenesis regulatory genes are not only transcribed but also translated into the blood cells. The goal of our study was to analyze the transcriptional activity of neurogenesis regulatory genes in peripheral blood cells in patients with thyroid pathology. Methods. The pathway-specific PCR array (Neurotrophins and Receptors RT2 Profiler PCR Array, QIAGEN, Germany) was used to identify and validate the neurogenesis regulatory genes expression in patients with thyroid pathology and control group. Results. The results showed that GFRA3, NGFR, NRG1, NTF3, NTRK1, and NTRK2 significantly decreased their expression in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis with rising serum of autoantibodies. The patients with primary hypothyroidism, as a result of autoimmune thyroiditis and postoperative hypothyroidism, had significantly lower expression of FGF2, NGFR, NRG1, and NTF3. The mRNA level of CNTFR was markedly decreased in the group of patients with postoperative hypothyroidism. No change in the ARTN, PSPN, TFG, MT3, and NELL1 expression was observed in any group of patients. Conclusion. The finding indicates that a decrease in thyroid hormones and a high level of autoantibodies, such as anti-thyroglobulin antibody and anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody, affect the expression of mRNA neurogenesis-regulated genes in patients with thyroid pathology.

Objective. Thyroid hormones have important actions in the adult brain. They regulate genes expression in myelination, differentiation of neuronal and glial cells, and neuronal viability and function.Methods. We used the pathway-specific real-time PCR array (Neurotrophins and Receptors RT2 Profiler PCR Array, QIAGEN, Germany) to identify and verify nerve impulse transmission pathway-focused genes expression in peripheral white blood cells of patients with postoperative hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism as a result of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and AIT with elevated serum an anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies.Results. It was shown that patients with postoperative hypothyroidism and hypothyroidism resulting from AIT had significantly lower expression of BDNF and CBLN1. In patients with AIT with elevated serum anti-Tg and anti-TPO antibodies, the expression of GDNF was significantly down-regulated and the expression of PNOC was up-regulated. The expression levels of MEF2C and NTSR1 were decreased in the group of patients with postoperative hypothyroidism and AIT, correspondingly.Conclusions. The results of this study demonstrate that AIT and hypothyroidism can affect the expression of mRNA nerve impulse transmission genes in gene specific manner and that these changes in gene expressions can be playing a role in the development of neurological complications associated with thyroid pathology. Detection of the transcriptional activity of nerve impulse transmission genes in peripheral white blood cells can be used as an important minimally invasive prognostic marker of the risk for developing neurological complications comorbid with thyroid pathology.

BACKGROUND: Thyroid hormones are key regulators of essential cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, and finally apoptosis. AIM: The aim of study was to detect changes in the expression of apoptosis and cell cycle pathway-focused genes in patients with different forms of thyroid pathology. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 36 patients with thyroid pathology were enrolled in the study. We used the pathway-specific real-time PCR array (Neurotrophins and Receptors RT2 Profiler PCR Array, QIAGEN, Germany) to identify and verify apoptosis and cell cycle pathway-focused genes expression in patients with postoperative hypothyroidism, hypothyroidism as a result of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) and AIT with elevated serum an anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) and anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) antibodies. RESULTS: It was shown that patients with elevated serum anti-Tg and anti-TPO antibodies and with hypothyroidism resulting from AIT had a significantly lower expression of FAS, TGFB, TP53, TGFA, while the expression of CD40 was increased. The mRNA levels of BCL2 and BAX decreased in the patients with elevated serum anti-Tg and anti-TPO antibodies and increased in the patients with hypothyroidism resulting from AIT and postoperative hypothyroidism. The patients with hypothyroidism resulting from AIT and postoperative hypothyroidism had significantly lower expression of HSPB1. NF1 expression did not change in all groups of patients. CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrate that AIT and hypothyroidism affect the mRNA-level expression of apoptosis and cell cycle pathway-focused genes in gene specific manner and that these changes to gene expression can be responsible for the apoptosis signs and symptoms associated with thyroid pathology.

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The swiftly spreading COVID-19 pandemic may differentially affect individuals with primary immunodeficiencies (PIDs), who have variable infection risk, immune-dysregulation and report worse health-related quality of life (HRQoL) than the general population. Our objective was to assess the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare access, physical and mental health among adults with PIDs. METHODS: Using data from the ongoing Immune Deficiency Foundation longitudinal surveys [April-June 2020 (IRB exempt)] on individuals with PIDs that opted-in [;9% response-rate (2086/ 22,341 emails)], we included adults with available PROMIS global health/ HRQoL questions. New healthcare access problems during COVID-19 (immunoglobulin replacement (IgRT) delays, location/ product changes, medication issues or missed appointments) and resulting negative impact on physical/ mental health were analyzed using Chi-square (Fisher's exact)/ t-tests/ Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: Of the 565 adults included (;30% of adults that opted-in), majority were females [86% (485/561)] and antibody defects were the most common diagnosis [96% (543/565)]; 90% (507/565) on IgRT. While 63% (359/565) reported healthcare access problems, IgRT issues were infrequent [4% (23/565)]. Mean PROMIS global physical (39.6) and mental health scores (43.5) were below the national average (p <0.001) (longitudinal follow-up ongoing). Individuals with healthcare access problems more often reported a moderate-severe negative impact on their physical and mental health vs. those without access issues [84% (103/123) vs 58% (250/428), p< 0.01 and 70% (204/291) vs 57% (149/260), p< 0.01 respectively]. CONCLUSIONS: Healthcare access issues are common during COVID-19 and negatively impact physical and mental health among individuals with PIDs providing insight into potentially modifiable factors.