Research Article
MAFLD in Patients with Cushing’s Disease Is Negatively Associated with Low Free Thyroxine Levels Rather than with Cortisol or TSH Levels
Table 1
Demographics and biochemical characteristics in Cushing’s disease patients with and without MAFLD.
| | Variables | All (N = 290) | Without MAFLD (N = 192) | MAFLD (N = 98) | value |
| | Demographic features | | Sex | | | | | | Male, N (%) | 63 (21.72) | 35 (18.23) | 28 (28.57) | 0.043 a | | Female, N (%) | 227 (78.28) | 157 (81.77) | 70 (71.43) | — | | Age (years) | 38.52 ± 12.84 | 38.61 ± 13.48 | 38.33 ± 11.10 | 0.911b | | BMI (kg/m2) | 25.83 ± 4.51 | 24.45 ± 3.26 | 28.51 ± 5.36 | <0.001 b | | <24, N (%) | 108 (37.24) | 93 (48.43) | 15 (15.31) | <0.001 a | | ≥24, N (%) | 182 (62.76) | 99 (51.56) | 83 (84.69) | — | | Comorbidities | | Diabetes/IGT, N (%) | 170 (58.62) | 108 (56.25) | 62 (63.27) | 0.251a | | Hypertension, N (%) | 212 (73.10) | 130 (67.70) | 82 (83.67) | 0.004 a | | Hyperlipidemia, N (%) | 87 (30.00) | 46 (25.52) | 41 (41.84) | 0.002 a | | Central hypothyroidism, N (%) | 46 (15.86) | 26 (13.54) | 20 (20.4) | 0.130a | | Biochemistry assays | | AST (IU/L)# | 17.00 (14.00–21.00) | 17.00 (14.00–19.25) | 18.50 (15.00–25.00) | 0.010 b | | ALT (IU/L)# | 26.00 (18.00–40.00) | 22.00 (16.00–32.25) | 29.50 (22.00–58.25.00) | <0.001 b | | GGT (IU/L)# | 27.00 (18.75–44.00) | 22.50 (16.00–31.25) | 38.00 (25.00–62.75) | <0.001 b | | Albumin (g/L) | 42.69 ± 4.29 | 43.11 ± 3.97 | 43.69 ± 3.73 | 0.282b | | PLT (10^9/L) | 237.79 ± 67.75 | 229.39 ± 56.45 | 244.17 ± 76.69 | 0.200b | | TC (mmol/L) | 4.70 ± 1.74 | 4.79 ± 1.66 | 4.59 ± 1.91 | 0.505b | | TG (mmol/L)# | 1.32 (0.94–2.01) | 1.24 (0.90–1.70) | 1.68 (1.13–2.72) | <0.001 b | | HDL-c (mmol/L)# | 1.41 (1.17–1.74) | 1.45 (1.24–1.87) | 1.28 (1.10–1.55) | <0.001 b | | LDL-c (mmol/L) | 2.96 ± 1.17 | 2.86 ± 1.09 | 3.07 ± 1.21 | 0.250b | | HbA1c (%) | 6.24 ± 1.15 | 6.03 ± 1.11 | 6.38 ± 1.14 | 0.099b | | FBG (mmol/L) | 6.07 ± 2.85 | 6.06 ± 3.58 | 6.36 ± 2.83 | 0.373b | | FIN (mU/L) | 18.07 ± 16.31 | 17.27 ± 18.55 | 20.97 ± 15.56 | 0.089b | | C-peptide (μg/L) | 3.41 ± 1.97 | 3.29 ± 2.03 | 3.83 ± 1.97 | 0.013 b | | Hormonal variables | | 24 h UFC (μg)# | 319.34 (167.30–613.94) | 343.57 (159.43–670.08) | 292.6 (172.32–586.8) | 0.715b | | Cortisol (μg/dL) | 26.72 ± 11.69 | 27.20 ± 11.24 | 26.37 ± 12.20 | 0.576b | | TSH (mIU/L)# | 1.05 (0.55–1.66) | 0.97 (0.58–1.62) | 1.09 (0.58–1.66) | 0.323b | | Low TSH, N (%) | 71 (24.48) | 47 (25.00) | 24 (24.49) | 0.998a | | TT4 (pmol/L) | 80.51 ± 21.16 | 79.75 ± 20.68 | 80.51 ± 22.24 | 0.854b | | Low TT4, N (%) | 32 (18.28) | 19 (9.90) | 13 (13.27) | 0.234a | | TT3 (pmol/L) | 1.26 ± 0.45 | 1.21 ± 0.40 | 1.30 ± 0.44 | 0.328b | | Low TT3, N (%) | 151 (49.66) | 106 (55.20) | 45 (45.92) | 0.134a | | FT4 (pmol/L) | 14.25 ± 2.88 | 14.48 ± 2.97 | 13.79 ± 2.63 | 0.045 b | | Low FT4, N (%) | 47 (16.20) | 25 (13.02) | 22 (22.45) | 0.040 a | | FT3 (pmol/L) | 3.78 ± 0.95 | 3.73 ± 0.91 | 3.79 ± 0.91 | 0.757b | | Low FT3, N (%) | 115 (32.07) | 79 (41.15) | 36 (36.73) | 0.468a | | FT3/FT4 | 0.27 ± 0.07 | 0.26 ± 0.07 | 0.28 ± 0.06 | 0.037 b |
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aPearson chi-squared test. bStudent’s t-test. #Log transformed before analysis. BMI: body mass index; IGT: impaired glucose tolerance; TSH: thyroid stimulating hormone; TT4: total thyroxine; TT3: total triiodothyronine; FT4: free thyroxine; FT3: free triiodothyronine; AST: aminotransferase; ALT: alanine aminotransferase; GGT: gamma-glutamyl transferase; PLT: platelets; TC: cholesterol; TG: triglycerides; HDL-c: high density lipoprotein-cholesterol; LDL-c: low density lipoprotein-cholesterol; HbA1c: glycated hemoglobin; FBG: fasting blood glucose; FIN: fasting insulin; 24 h UFC: 24 hours urine cortisol. Reference range: TSH (0.550 ~ 4.780 mIU/L), TT4 (54.0‐174.0 pmol/L), TT3 (1.23‐3.39 pmol/L), FT4 (11.5‐22.7 pmol/L), and FT3 (3.50‐6.50 pmol/L). P value < 0.05 is shown in bold.
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