Table 3.
Clinical characteristics of the subjects for quantification of microRNA (miR)-125a expression
| GD | HD | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Controls | Intractable | In remission | Severe | Mild | |
| n (female/male) | 38 (24/14) | 15 (14/1) | 17 (15/2) | 32 (25/7) | 19 (18/1) |
| Age of onset (years) (range) | – | 34·7 ± 14·6 (16∼64) | 28·3 ± 8·7 (15∼46) | 39·0 ± 9·8 (23∼49) | – |
| Age of sampling (years) (range) | 46·6 ± 12·7 (21∼66) | 53·6 ± 11·0 (38∼83) | 52·6 ± 15·4 (26∼87) | 53·0 ± 15·5 (26∼83) | 62·2 ± 9·7 (50∼79) |
| Goitre size (cm) | n.d | 4·6 ± 1·1 | 4·4 ± 0·5 | 4·2 ± 1·2 | 4·7 ± 1·3 |
| Free T4 (ng/dl) | 1·1 ± 0·2 | 1·1 ± 0·2 | 1·3 ± 0·2 | 1·2 ± 0·2 | 1·2 ± 0·4 |
| Free T3 (pg/dl) | 2·8 ± 0·2 | 2·6 ± 1·1 | 2·8 ± 0·3 | 2·8 ± 0·8 | 2·8 ± 0·3 |
| TSH (μU/ml) | 2·1 ± 1·3 | 1·9 ± 1·3 | 2·1 ± 1·7 | 4·8 ± 4·9 | 2·7 ± 2·1 |
| TRAb (IU/l) (range) | <2·0 | 11·6 ± 27·8 (2∼99) | <2·0 | <2·0 | <2·0 |
| TgAb (2n × 100) | Negative | 5·0 ± 2·6 | 6·0 ± 2·8 | 9·0 ± 2·6* | 2·15 ± 2·4 |
| McAb (2n × 100) | Negative | 7·0 ± 3·8 | 7·3 ± 3·0 | 9·5 ± 4·2 | 6·3 ± 2·9 |
| Current treatment | None | Methimazole or PTU | None | L-thyroxine | None |
| Current dose of anti-thyroid drug (mg/day) (range) | None | 37·5 ± 59·8 (5∼200) | None | None | None |
| Current dose of L-thyroxine drug (μg/day) (range) | None | None | None | 79·6 ± 32·1 (25∼150) | None |
Data are means ± standard deviations.
*
P < 0·01 [versus mild Hashimoto's disease (HD)].
Doses were expressed as comparable doses of methimazole [50 mg of propylthiouracil (PTU) was converted to 5 mg of methimazole]. T4 = thyroxine; T3 = triiodothyronine; TSH = thyrotrophin; TRAb = anti-thyrotrophin receptor antibody; McAb = anti-thyroid microsomal antibody; n.d. = not determined; TgAb = anti-thyroglobulin antibody.