Table 1.
Clinical characteristics of participants during the study period
| Characteristics | baseline | 4 weeks (L-T4)a | 8 weeks (L-T4)a | 12 weeks | 16 weeks | β (SD)b | Logc | P value(SD)d |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, years | 27.8 (3.8) | 27.8 (3.8) | 27.8 (3.8) | 27.8 (3.8) | 27.8 (3.8) | – | – | – |
| BMI, kg/m2 | 24.1 (2.4) | 24.1 (2.4) | 24.1 (2.4) | 24.1 (2.4) | 24.1 (2.4) | – | – | – |
| FT4, pmol/L | 13.2 (1.4) | 28.6 (6.5) | 25.9 (5.7) | 11.5 (1.5) | 12.8 (1.5) | – | – | <0.001e |
| FT3, pmol/L | 5.27 (0.51) | 9.19 (2.01) | 8.92 (2.25) | 4.61 (0.33) | 4.86 (0.55) | 2.76 × 10–1 (8.22 × 10–3) | no | 7.43 × 10–25 (4.28 × 10–24)f |
| TSH, mU/L | 2.104 (1.017) | 0.017 (0.029) | 0.007 (0.007) | 2.298 (1.309) | 2.177 (0.897) | –1.35 × 10–1 (6.42 × 10–3) | yes | 7.26 × 10–21 (2.02 × 10–20)f |
| SHBG, nmol/L | 30.2 (10.2) | 50.6 (16.2) | 55.9 (16.3) | 36.3 (11.8) | 29.3 (9.3) | 1.41 × 10–2 (9.11 × 10–4) | yes | 3.41 × 10–10 (1.03 × 10–9)f |
| Cystatin C, mg/L | 0.68 (0.06) | 0.79 (0.08) | 0.86 (0.12) | 0.71 (0.07) | 0.68 (0.06) | 4.19 × 10–3 (2.35 × 10–4) | yes | 8.26 × 10–9 (1.10 × 10–8)f |
| Serum glucose, mmol/L | 5.18 (0.35) | 5.22 (0.42) | 5.26 (0.39) | 5.09 (0.31) | 5.18 (0.57) | 5.76 × 10–3 (1.62 × 10–3) | no | 2.91 × 10–1 (1.38 × 10–1) |
| Insulin, μU/L | 8.35 (3.63) | 7.94 (4.32) | 7.78 (3.62) | 8.33 (4.06) | 8.07 (3.38) | –1.29 × 10–3 (1.14 × 10–3) | yes | 6.58 × 10–1 (2.29 × 10–1) |
| HDL-cholesterol, mmol/L | 1.43 (0.27) | 1.21 (0.20) | 1.23 (0.25) | 1.46 (0.29) | 1.42 (0.37) | –1.30 × 10–2 (8.89 × 10–4) | no | 1.33 × 10–5 (1.54 × 10–5)f |
| LDL-cholesterol, mmol/L | 2.70 (0.72) | 2.15 (0.57) | 2.27 (0.53) | 2.91 (0.75) | 2.76 (0.79) | –4.18 × 10–2 (1.96 × 10–3) | no | 2.91 × 10–8 (6.08 × 10–8)f |
| Cholesterol, mmol/L | 4.53 (0.75) | 3.81 (0.61) | 4.06 (0.61) | 5.04 (0.70) | 4.61 (0.68) | –5.87 × 10–2 (2.24 × 10–3) | no | 3.05 × 10–10 (6.84 × 10–10)f |
| Triglycerides, mmol/L | 1.26 (0.76) | 1.14 (0.58) | 1.29 (0.56) | 1.31 (0.63) | 1.35 (0.82) | –1.96 × 10–3 (6.06 × 10–4) | yes | 3.08 × 10–1 (1.65 × 10–1) |
| ALT, μkatal/L | 0.51 (0.21) | 0.38 (0.10) | 0.65 (0.42) | 0.61 (0.29) | 0.50 (0.14) | –4.30 × 10–3 (9.65 × 10–4) | yes | 9.99 × 10–2 (7.00 × 10–2) |
| AST, μkatal/L | 0.49 (0.41) | 0.34 (0.14) | 0.43 (0.17) | 0.43 (0.14) | 0.43 (0.23) | –2.03 × 10–3 (1.30 × 10–3) | yes | 4.67 × 10–1 (2.37 × 10–1) |
| GGT, μkatal/L | 0.41 (0.09) | 0.45 (0.11) | 0.49 (0.11) | 0.45 (0.15) | 0.43 (0.11) | 6.84 × 10–4 (8.20 × 10–4) | yes | 6.55 × 10–1 (3.18 × 10–1) |
| Total bilirubin, μmol/L | 12.5 (8.4) | 12.6 (8.7) | 13.5 (7.3) | 11.9 (6.4) | 11.9 (7.3) | 1.56 × 10–3 (1.18 × 10–3) | yes | 5.83 × 10–1 (2.35 × 10–1) |
| Direct bilirubin, μmol/L | 2.86 (1.35) | 3.04 (1.35) | 3.28 (1.24) | 2.84 (1.03) | 3.03 (1.39) | 3.00 × 10–3 (5.14 × 10–4) | yes | 1.06 × 10–1 (6.69 × 10–2) |
| Complement C3, g/L | 1.15 (0.27) | 1.21 (0.16) | 1.17 (0.11) | 1.10 (0.14) | 1.11 (0.14) | 4.49 × 10–3 (5.06 × 10–4) | no | 2.38 × 10–2 (1.75 × 10–2)f |
| Complement C4, g/L | 0.24 (0.06) | 0.25 (0.05) | 0.24 (0.05) | 0.23 (0.05) | 0.24 (0.05) | 9.81 × 10–4 (1.38 × 10–4) | no | 3.09 × 10–2 (2.94 × 10–2)f |
a L-T4 application of levothyroxine
bMean and standard deviation (SD) of the estimate for FT4 in linear mixed regression models adjusted for age and body mass index (BMI) from 101 subsamples
cDependent variable was logarithmized to base 10
dMean and SD of the P value
eRepeated measurement analysis of variance adjusted for age and BMI
fSignificant results
FT 4 free thyroxine, FT 3 free triiodothyronine, TSH thyrotropin, SHBG sex hormone binding globulin, HDL high-density lipoprotein, LDL low-density lipoprotein, ALT alanine aminotransferase, AST aspartate aminotransferase, GGT γ-glutamyl transpeptidase