Evaluation of Forkhead Box Protein E1 (FOXE1) Gene Expression and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Levels in a Sample of Hyperthyroidism Iraqi Patients

Abstract

Hyperthyroidism refers to a type of common endocrinology disease in which the level of thyroid hormone in the body is abnormally increased. Although several clinical studies have researched the genetic factors of hyperthyroidism the influence of thyroid hormones on gene expression are still unclear. Forkhead box (FOX) family proteins regulate transcription and DNA repair and are involved in cell growth, differentiation, embryogenesis, and lifespan. The transcription factor FOXE1 is a member of the FOX family. The relationship between the expression level of FOXE1 and Hyperthyroidism prognosis remains controversial. This study aimed to estimate the levels of FOXE1 gene expression in a sample of Iraqi patients with Hyperthyroidism. In a case-control study included 48 Iraqi patients suffered from hyperthyroidism, before and after a single dose of oral sodium iodide I¹³¹- capsule treatment and 50 seemingly healthy volunteers as a control group with age range from (15-75) years were enrolled in this study during their attendance at the Alamal Alwataniy Hospital in Baghdad from the period July 2022 to the middle of March 2023. Blood samples were collected to evaluate the level of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) automatically by Cobas e411 (Hitachi/Roche) device and RNA was extracted from whole blood samples, followed by cDNA synthesis. Subsequently, the levels of TSHR transcripts were measured by using Real time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). The FOXE1 expression level, exhibited a substantial upregulation in the whole blood samples obtained from patients after treatment ±0.61) than before treatment  ±0.52) compared to those obtained from healthy controls. The current study concluded that FOXE1 may be a potential independent prognostic factor for Hyperthyroidism patients.