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The Effect of Hydroxychloroquine Treatment in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Hashimoto Thyroiditis
Interventions
Registration Number
NCT01760421
Lead Sponsor
National Taiwan University Hospital
Brief Summary

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease, which induced chronic inflammation of thyroid gland and destroys thyroid tissue.

Hydroxychloroquine is used as disease modifying anti-rheumatic drug (DMARD) for treatment of several autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), rheumatoid arthritis(RA) for more than one century.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether hydroxychloroquine is effective in treatment of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Detailed Description

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is an autoimmune thyroid disease, and when the disease progresses, thyroid function finally declined to hypothyroidism.

There was no medical treatment recommended for patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, but currently at euthyroid state. Levothyroxine replacement therapy starts if patients become hypothyroid state.

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is a T-cell mediated autoimmune thyroid disease. The major auto-antigens include thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and thyroglobulin. Anti-TPO antibodies induce antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) and cause destruction of thyroid tissues.

Antimalarial agents like hydroxychloroquine have several pharmacologic effects which may be involved in the treatment of rheumatic diseases, but the role of each is not known. These include interaction with sulphydryl groups, interference with enzyme activity (including phospholipase, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide hydrogen-cytochrome C reductase, cholinesterase, proteases and hydrolases), DNA binding, stabilisation of lysosome membranes, inhibition of prostaglandin formation, inhibition of polymorphonuclear cell chemotaxis and phagocytosis.

This study is to investigate the treatment effect of hydroxychloroquine on autoantibodies and disease progression of Hashimoto's thyroiditis.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
40
Inclusion Criteria
  • Hashimoto's thyroiditis
  • Euthyroid state (free T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone level within normal limit)
  • Never receive immunomodulators or immunosuppressants
Exclusion Criteria
  • Planned pregnant or already pregnant women
  • Renal insufficiency
  • Hepatic insufficiency
  • Anemia
  • Agranulocytosis
  • Thrombocytopenia
  • Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency
  • Porphyria cutaneous tarda
  • Allergy to 4-aminoquinolone

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
SINGLE_GROUP
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
HydroxychloroquineHydroxychloroquineReceive treatment with hydroxychloroquine
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Anti-TPO antibody6th month after medical treatment

Check anti-TPO antibody 6 months after medical treatment as inflammatory marker

Anti-thyroglobulin antibody6 months after medical treatment

Check serum anti-thyroglobulin antibody 6 months after medical treatment as inflammatory status

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Elasticity of thyroid gland6 months after medical treatment

Measure the elasticity of the thyroid gland by elastography as the infiltrative degree of the thyroid

Thyroid function6 months after medical treatment

Measure serum free T4 and thyroid-stimulating hormone level 6 months after treatment

Inflammatory cytokines6 months after treatment

Measure plasma cytokines including interleukin-1, interleukin-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, 6 months after treatment

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Department of Internal Medicine, National Taiwan University Hospital

🇨🇳

Taipei, Taiwan

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