Hemodialysis Tends to Improve Thyroid Function by Restoring Hormone Levels in ESRD Patients Compared to Non-Dialysis Kidney Disease Patients: A Case–Control Study
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Ethical Approval, Study Settings, and Participants
2.2. Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria
- Normal patients (NPs): individuals suspected of having thyroid complications with no kidney complications or other confirmed diagnosed diseases.
- Non-dialysis kidney disease patients (NDKPs): individuals with kidney or renal complications confirmed by a creatinine level > the reference range (0.6–1.3 mg/dL) who were suspected of having thyroid complications.
- Dialysis patients (DPs): ESRD patients receiving dialysis for 1–2 years, but not less than 1 year, who were suspected of having thyroid complications.
2.3. Sample Collection
2.4. Measurement of T3, T4, and TSH Levels
2.5. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Participant Demographics and Hormonal Level Determination
3.2. Comparison of Thyroid Hormone Levels
3.3. Comparison of Hormone Levels Based on Sex and Age
3.4. Association Between Hormone Levels
4. Discussion
5. Limitations of This Study
6. Future Perspectives and Recommendations
- Research Gap: Limited research exists on the interplay among thyroid function, hormone levels, and dialysis outcomes in CKD patients, especially in the Bangladeshi context.
- Future Research Direction: Multifactorial longitudinal studies with multicenter designs and larger and more diverse cohorts are needed to robustly evaluate the interplay among thyroid function, hormone levels, and dialysis outcomes in CKD patients.
- Study Design Justification: Such studies are crucial to enhance generalizability, mitigate selection bias, and enable comprehensive statistical analysis.
7. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Conflicts of Interest
Correction Statement
References
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| NPs | NDKPs | DPs | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Participant demographics | |||
| Overall, patients, n | 106 | 32 | 23 |
| Age in years (mean ± SD) | 38.64 ± 17.05 | 43.75 ± 17.54 | 43.00 ± 17.51 |
| Male, n | 32 | 10 | 8 |
| Age in years (mean ± SD) | 37.55 ± 17.01 | 45.7 ± 18.22 | 45 ± 15.90 |
| Female, n | 74 | 22 | 15 |
| Age in years (mean ± SD) | 39.12 ± 17.10 | 42.86 ± 17.53 | 41.93 ± 17.51 |
| Overall levels of thyroid hormones | |||
| TSH, µIU/mL (mean ± SD) | 4.49 ± 0.24 | 4.01 ± 0.20 | 5.13 ± 0.25 |
| T3, ng/mL (mean ± SD) | 1.23 ± 0.06 | 1.29 ± 0.06 | 1.61 ± 0.08 |
| T4, µg/dL (mean ± SD) | 8.31 ± 0.41 | 9.49 ± 0.47 | 9.67 ± 0.48 |
| Patients of Different Groups, n (%) | Normal Level, n (%) | Higher Level, n (%) | Lower Level, n (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| NPs, n = 106 (100) | |||
| TSH | 80 (75.47) | 19 (17.92) | 7 (6.60) |
| T3 | 67 (63.20) | 17 (16.03) | 22 (20.75) |
| T4 (female) | 43 (40.56) | 11 (10.37) | 18 (16.98) |
| T4 (male) | 19 (17.92) | 9 (8.49) | 6 (5.66) |
| T4 overall | 62 (58.49) | 20 (18.86) | 24 (22.64) |
| NDKPs, n = 32 (100) | |||
| TSH | 26 (81.25) | 5 (15.62) | 1 (3.12) |
| T3 | 20 (62.50) | 7 (21.32) | 5 (15.62) |
| T4 (female) | 17 (53.12) | 5 (15.62) | 1 (3.12) |
| T4 (male) | 4 (12.5) | 4 (12.5) | 1 (3.12) |
| T4 overall | 21 (65.62) | 9 (28.12) | 2 (6.25) |
| DPs, n = 23 (100) | |||
| TSH | 17 (73.91) | 4 (17.39) | 2 (8.69) |
| T3 | 13 (56.52) | 5 (21.73) | 5 (21.73) |
| T4 (female) | 9 (39.13) | 4 (17.39) | 2 (8.69) |
| T4 (male) | 4 (17.39) | 4 (17.39) | 0 (0.0) |
| T4 overall | 13 (56.52) | 8 (34.78) | 2 (8.69) |
| Category | Thyroid Hormones | Hormonal Levels (Mean) | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NPs | NDKPs | DPs | ||
| Male | TSH | 3.97 | 4.10 | 4.26 |
| T3 | 1.54 | 1.39 | 1.13 | |
| T4 | 8.2 | 9.33 | 9.65 | |
| Female | TSH | 4.71 | 3.96 | 5.60 |
| T3 | 1.10 | 1.24 | 1.86 | |
| T4 | 8.36 | 9.55 | 9.67 | |
| Age < 45 y | TSH | 3.94 | 4.64 | 5.54 |
| T3 | 1.24 | 1.40 | 2.32 | |
| T4 | 8.59 | 11.07 | 8.74 | |
| Age > 45 y | TSH | 5.89 | 3.25 | 4.64 |
| T3 | 1.24 | 1.23 | 1.12 | |
| T4 | 8.11 | 7.95 | 10.77 | |
| Patient Group | Thyroid Hormone Levels/Activity | Implications |
|---|---|---|
| Dialysis patients with renal complications | Moderately enhanced thyroid hormone levels and activity | Suggests potential benefits of routine dialysis for CKD/ESRD patients |
| Non-dialysis patients with kidney disease | Not significantly enhanced thyroid hormone levels and activity | Supports the need for further investigation with larger cohorts |
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Islam, H.; Khandker, S.S.; Khatun, A.; Suez, E.; Pranto, A.H.; Islam, D.Z.; Begum, R.; Uddin, M.N.; Hasan, M.A.; Alam, M.S.; et al. Hemodialysis Tends to Improve Thyroid Function by Restoring Hormone Levels in ESRD Patients Compared to Non-Dialysis Kidney Disease Patients: A Case–Control Study. Diseases 2026, 14, 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases14040128
Islam H, Khandker SS, Khatun A, Suez E, Pranto AH, Islam DZ, Begum R, Uddin MN, Hasan MA, Alam MS, et al. Hemodialysis Tends to Improve Thyroid Function by Restoring Hormone Levels in ESRD Patients Compared to Non-Dialysis Kidney Disease Patients: A Case–Control Study. Diseases. 2026; 14(4):128. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases14040128
Chicago/Turabian StyleIslam, Hasibul, Shahad Saif Khandker, Anwara Khatun, Ehsan Suez, Alif Hasan Pranto, Dewan Zubaer Islam, Rahima Begum, Md. Nizam Uddin, Md. Ashraful Hasan, Md. Shah Alam, and et al. 2026. "Hemodialysis Tends to Improve Thyroid Function by Restoring Hormone Levels in ESRD Patients Compared to Non-Dialysis Kidney Disease Patients: A Case–Control Study" Diseases 14, no. 4: 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases14040128
APA StyleIslam, H., Khandker, S. S., Khatun, A., Suez, E., Pranto, A. H., Islam, D. Z., Begum, R., Uddin, M. N., Hasan, M. A., Alam, M. S., & Mamun-Or-Rashid, A. N. M. (2026). Hemodialysis Tends to Improve Thyroid Function by Restoring Hormone Levels in ESRD Patients Compared to Non-Dialysis Kidney Disease Patients: A Case–Control Study. Diseases, 14(4), 128. https://doi.org/10.3390/diseases14040128

