Effects of low-level laser therapy on the serum TGF-β1 concentrations in individuals with autoimmune thyroiditis.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized controlled trial
PubMed 25101534 · doi:10.1089/pho.2014.3716
What was done
In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 43 patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis (CAT)-induced hypothyroidism maintained on stable levothyroxine were allocated to receive either 10 sessions of low-level laser therapy (LLLT: 830 nm, 50 mW, 707 J/cm²; n = 23) or 10 sessions of placebo treatment (n = 20) twice weekly. Serum TGF-β1 was measured at baseline and 30 days post-intervention.
What was found
The change in serum TGF-β1 levels at 30 days post-intervention compared to baseline was significantly higher in the LLLT group (874.9 ± 541.7 pg/mL) than in the placebo group (-128.4 ± 832.8 pg/mL; p = 0.0379).
Why it matters
This trial suggests a potential cytokine-mediated biological mechanism (via TGF-β1 upregulation) for low-level laser therapy in chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.
Limits
The sample size is small (n = 43), follow-up is limited to 30 days, and the study evaluated a surrogate circulating biomarker without reporting clinical thyroid function outcomes or tissue-level expression.
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