Effect of radioactive iodine therapy on carotid intima media thickness and serum endocan level

Year 2025, Volume: 16 Issue: 55, 77 - 83, 18.08.2025

Elif Durak Ediboğlu , Asena Gökçay Canpolat , Elgin Özkan , Mustafa Sahin

https://doi.org/10.17944/interdiscip.1631551

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine how radioactive iodine (RAI) therapy affected the levels of serum endocan and carotid intima media thickness (CIMT) as well as how these changed over time in the group receiving medical treatment.
Method: A total of 52 hyperthyroid patients were included in the study, 26 of whom were planned to receive RAI treatment and 26 of whom were followed up with medical treatment. Measurements of CIMT and serum endocan levels were taken before and 3 months after RAI therapy. The group also received medical treatment at the time of their inclusion in the trial and 3 months later.
Results: Older age found to be related with higher CIMT value in all patients (p<0.001). The mean left CIMT measurement was significantly higher than the right CIMT measurement (p<0.001). In the RAI group, there was no significant increase in the right and left CIMT during the third month of treatment (p=0.05). The left CIMT at the third month in the medical treatment group was statistically significantly higher than the value at the baseline (p<0.05). The age and smoking status of both groups did not exhibit a correlation with the basal serum endocan level. In the RAI group, the serum endocan at the third month was statistically significantly lower than the value at the baseline (p<0.001). The baseline serum endocan level and the baseline mean CIMT exhibited a significant relationship (p=0.014). However, no significant relationship was observed between the 3rd month serum endocan level and the 3rd month CIMT (p=0.79).
Conclusion: The findings of the present study demonstrated that the mean CIMT did not increase in the RAI treatment group during the follow-up period; however, serum endocan levels decreased subsequent to treatment.

Keywords

Serum endocan level, carotid intima-media thickness, radioactive iodine therapy

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