The results of a recent investigation support the thyroid′s intricate role in COVID-19. With no history of thyroid dysfunction, patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 exhibit thyroiditis symptoms that can last up to a year after infection.

Experts previously noted that hospitalized patients with severe COVID-19 also have atypical thyroiditis and nonthyroidal disease syndrome.

Researchers considered 183 patients hospitalized in Italy with severe COVID-19 to analyze those cases further and monitor patients for up to a year. The patients′ serum thyroid function, autoantibodies, and inflammatory markers were evaluated; they had no known prior history of thyroid disease.

At baseline, 10% of the patients were found to have thyrotoxicosis, and an ultrasound done 2 to 3 months after the infection revealed regions of thyroiditis in 18 of the 65 patients. TSH levels were low in 60% of patients with thyroiditis and normal in 25% of patients. During the same period, people with thyroiditis showed greater serum concentrations of Free Thyroxine + 4 (FT4) and higher levels of interleukin-26 compared to regular ultrasound readings.

Following up on patients post-infection revealed that, of the 15 patients assessed at six months, 13 (87%) still had thyroiditis areas, and 6 of the 12 (50%) showed the presence of thyroiditis spots with reduced size, which persisted till 12 months.

It was further noted that patients′ TSH levels returned and stayed normal for the entire year, thyroiditis symptoms persisted. Fine needle aspiration (FNA) analysis of eight patients with atypical thyroiditis at 3 months after infection revealed the presence of tissue-resident memory T cells (CD4+/CD8+/CD103+/CD69+) within the thyroid, but not in the blood, even at 8 months assessment after infection.

Thus the study provided additional evidence that thyroid dysfunction may linger a year after severe COVID-19.

(Source: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/983254?src=#vp_1)