Journal of Endocrinology and Metabolism, ISSN 1923-2861 print, 1923-287X online, Open Access
Article copyright, the authors; Journal compilation copyright, J Endocrinol Metab and Elmer Press Inc
Journal website http://www.jofem.org

Original Article

Volume 1, Number 2, June 2011, pages 73-78

Serum Levels of B-Cell Activating Factor of TNF Family (BAFF) as a Useful Indicator for the Activity of Graves’ Disease

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1. Serum levels of BAFF, APRIL (A), and IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-13 (B) in patients with Graves’ disease. GD: patients with Graves’ disease; HD: healthy donors. Large bar shows an average level, and small bars show ± standard deviation. Data were analyzed by Mann Whitney non-parametric U-test. * P < 0.01
Figure 2.
Figure 2. Positive correlations between serum BAFF level and thyroidal parameters. GD: patients with Graves’ disease; HD: healthy donors; FT3: free triiodothyronine; FT4: free thyroxine; TRAb: TSH receptor autoantibody. Vertical axis shows serum BAFF levels, and straight axis shows each thyroidal parameters (FT3, FT4, TRAb, and FT3 to FT4 ratio (FT3/FT4)). Data were analyzed by Spearman’s correlation coefficient by rank test.

Table

Table 1. Clinical Characteristics of the Subjects Studied
 
GDHD
GD: patients with Graves’ disease; HD: healthy donors; FT3: free triiodothyronine; FT4: free thyroxine; TRAb: TSH receptor autoantibody. GD patients were age- and sex-matched with HD. Normal ranges of FT3 and FT4 were 2.30 - 4.30 pg/mL and 0.90 - 1.70 ng/dL respectively, and higher detection limits were 25.00 pg/mL and 7.77 ng/dL respectively. Data are expressed as mean ± standard deviation.
Number of the subjects studied2320
Range of the age14 - 8130 - 73
Average of the age40.7 ± 18.449.6 ± 15.6
Range of FT3 on diagnosed (pg/mL)2.8 - 25.0N.D.
Range of FT4 on diagnosed (ng/dL)1.0 - 7.77N.D.
Average value of TRAb (IU/L)22.1 ± 29.7N.D.