Obesity affects thyroid gland function. Hypothyroidism, thyroid nodules, goiter, and thyroid cancer are more frequent in patients with higher BMI values. Although these data are supported by many clinical and epidemiological studies, our knowledge is very scarce at the molecular level. In this study, we present the first experimental evidence that adipocyte signaling downregulates the expression of thyroid-specific transcription factor 2 (TTF-2/FoxE1). It plays a crucial role in thyroid development and thyroid homeostasis and it is strictly connected to thyroid cancer as well. We provide in vivo and in vitro evidence that inhibition of TTF-2/FoxE1 gene expression is mediated by adipocyte signaling.

肥胖会影响甲状腺功能。BMI 值较高的患者更容易患甲状腺功能减退症、甲状腺结节、甲状腺肿和甲状腺癌。尽管这些数据得到许多临床和流行病学研究的支持，但我们在分子水平上的知识非常匮乏。在这项研究中，我们首次提出了脂肪细胞信号转导下调甲状腺特异性转录因子 2 (TTF-2/FoxE1) 表达的实验证据。它在甲状腺发育和甲状腺稳态中发挥着至关重要的作用，并且与甲状腺癌也密切相关。我们提供的体内和体外证据表明，TTF-2/FoxE1 基因表达的抑制是由脂肪细胞信号传导介导的。