Alterations in endothelium-associated proteins and serum thyroid hormone concentrations in anorexia nervosa

Abstract

Plasma concentrations of endothelium-associated proteins (EAP) (plasma fibronectin (PFN), angio-tensin-converting enzyme, factor VIII-related antigen (F VIII-R:Ag)) and tissue plasminogen activator and serum thyroid hormone concentrations were studied in nine patients with anorexia nervosa (AN), before and after weight gain. Before weight gain (-35.9 (se 2.3)% of standard body-weight) PFN was significantly reduced and F VIII-R:Ag was significantly increased in AN patients compared with the concentrations in control subjects (211.5 (se 14.9)v.274.7 (se 16.6) μg/ml,P< 0.05; 129.2 (se 14.1)v.88.2 (se 9.7)%,P<0.05 respectively). Serum triiodothyronine (T3) and free T3 levels were also significantly lower before weight gain in AN patients (0.85 (se 0.07)v.1.53 (se 0.08) nmol/l,P< 0.001; 2.57 (se 0.23)v.5.31 (se 0.34) pmol/l,P< 0.001 respectively), although serum thyroxine (T4), free T4, and thyrotropin concentrations were within the normal range throughout the study periods. Following weight gain, PFN and F VIII-R: Ag concentrations normalized as did the thyroid hormone levels. The incremental changes in PFN levels correlated significantly with those in serum thyroid hormone concentrations (T3,r0.79,P<0.01; free T3,r0.84,P< 0.01). These findings suggest that PFN levels may be directly related to serum T3 concentrations in AN patients.