The Role of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor VEGF-A Levels in Thyroid Vascular changes in Patients with Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Abstract

           Background: Tissue damage is a common and characteristic feature of autoimmune diseases. Tissue damage has been significantly associated with blood vessels, the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF- A) it has great importance of angiogenesis in organs, tissues, and glands. aimed the current study to measure the levels of VEGF- A and its relationship to clinical manifestations of thyroid tissue damage and follicle enlargement in patients with autoimmune Hashimoto's disease (HI). Evaluated demographic factors (Age, BMI, systolic pressure, diastolic pressure) for the two study groups and functional thyroid hormone levels (TSH, T4, T3, FT4, FT3) Also assessing the levels of diagnostic antibodies to the disease (Anti-TPO, Anti-TG), The current study was conducted on 30 Iraqi female patients in Najaf Governorate in Iraq diagnosed with Hashimoto's disease and 30 healthy women. The ages of the study groups ranged from 25 to 50 years. methods used electro chemiluminescence immune assay ECLIA, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay Sandwich -ELISA, (Competitive- ELISA) in determining the levels of Study criteria. The findings indicated that the Hashimoto's group's BMI was higher than that of the health group., while the levels of functional hormones T3, FT3, FT4 decreased, the study also showed an increase in levels of (TSH, Anti-TPO, Anti-TG), the study showed VEGF-A levels in the serum of women in the HI group were significantly higher than those in the health group. The study revealed the involvement of VEGF-A in the tissue damage that occurs to the thyroid gland in the autoimmune disease Hashimoto's