71 | id == 71
71 | category_id == 6
71 | category_order == 4
71 | category_name == Thyroid
71 | category_color == #C47AC0
71 | slug == STAT3-Autoimmune-Thyroid-Disorders
71 | title == Can This Gene Contribute To Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders? (STAT3)
71 | meta_description == STAT3 variants may be associated with autoimmune thyroid disorders. Click here to find out where your genes stand!
71 | summary == <p style="text-align:justify"><strong><em>STAT3</em> fine-tunes the immune response. <em>STAT3</em> seems to be mainly involved in autoimmune thyroid disorders through its role in the development of Th17 cells. Variants that change how <em>STAT3</em> works may influence your risk of developing autoimmune thyroid disorders. Read on to learn more about your variants for this gene and what they mean!</strong></p>
71 | overall_score_text == Autoimmune Thyroid Disorder Score (based on STAT3)
71 | image == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/background/STAT3_Thyroid_post_image.jpg
71 | author_id == 12
71 | author_name == Carlos Tello
71 | author_title == PhD
71 | author_order == 55
71 | author_photo == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/author-photo/CarlosTello.webp
71 | author_intro == <p><strong>Carlos received his PhD and MS from the Universidad de Sevilla.</strong></p>    <p>Carlos spent 9 years in the laboratory investigating mineral transport in plants. He then started working as a freelancer, mainly in science writing, editing, and consulting. Carlos is passionate about learning the mechanisms behind biological processes and communicating science to both academic and non-academic audiences. He strongly believes that scientific literacy is crucial to maintain a healthy lifestyle and avoid falling for scams.</p>
71 | author_social_media_name == linkedin
71 | author_social_media_icon == https://sd-selfdecode-assets-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/blog/social-icon/linkedin.png
71 | author_social_order == 1
71 | author_social_link == https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-tello-lacal-b946b4a7/
71 | reviewer_id == 4
71 | reviewer_name == Matt Carland
71 | reviewer_title == PhD
71 | medical_reviewer_id == 11
71 | medical_reviewer_name == Puya Yazdi
71 | medical_reviewer_title == MD
71 | publish_date == 2019
71 | publish_date == 11
71 | publish_date == 8
71 | avg_rating == 5.0
71 | tags_id == 33
71 | tags_name == Autoimmunity
71 | tags_id == 96
71 | tags_name == Cytokines
71 | tags_id == 83
71 | tags_name == Grave's Disease
71 | tags_id == 48
71 | tags_name == Hashimoto's
71 | tags_id == 43
71 | tags_name == Hypothyroidism
71 | tags_id == 95
71 | tags_name == Immune System
71 | tags_id == 24
71 | tags_name == Inflammation
71 | tags_id == 210
71 | tags_name == STAT3 Gene
71 | tags_id == 41
71 | tags_name == Thyroid
71 | permissions_favorite == False
71 | permissions_rate == False
71 | content_article == <table style="width: 90%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" border="1" cellpadding="10"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width: 100%; text-align: justify;"><strong>Note:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> If you're curious to learn more about the many different genetic factors that can influence chronic inflammation and autoimmune disorders &mdash; and what you can potentially do to counteract them &mdash; we highly recommend checking out SelfDecode's </span><a href="https://get.selfdecode.com/gene-reports/inflammation/"><strong><em>Inflammation DNA Wellness Report</em></strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, which will you give you personalized analysis of many key inflammation- and immune-system-related genes!</span></td> </tr> </tbody> </table> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>What Is the <em>STAT3 </em>Gene?</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><a href="../../gene/stat3/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> codes for one member of a family of proteins called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">s</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ignal </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">t</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ransducer and </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">a</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ctivator of </span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">t</span></em><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">ranscription</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, or just &ldquo;STAT&rdquo; for short. STAT proteins are activated by other proteins (such as </span><a href="../../gene/jak2/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">JAK</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">), which causes them to bind to DNA and turn certain genes &ldquo;on&rdquo; or &ldquo;off&rdquo; [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4524500/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">When it comes to STAT3 specifically, its main role is to control the expression of genes involved in the growth, development, and activation of immune system cells. This process is triggered by &ldquo;messenger molecules&rdquo; called </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">cytokines</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">. While STAT3 responds to many different cytokines, some of the main ones include </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/interleukin-6/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-6</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/il-10/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-10</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="../../gene/il21/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-21</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and&nbsp; </span><a href="../../gene/il23r/?utm_source=seo&amp;#38;utm_medium=selfhacked&amp;#38;utm_campaign=id00002"><span style="font-weight: 400;">IL-23</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5050093/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2733795/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4628878/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">gene encodes a protein that activates or blocks the expression of genes required for the function of immune cells.</span></span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Dual Role in Immunity Regulation</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The immune system protects us from infections and cancer under normal circumstances, but also causes allergies and inflammatory/autoimmune disorders when imbalanced. STAT3 responds to cytokines that either activate or block the immune response &mdash; in other words, it is one of the mechanisms your body uses to fine-tune the immune system.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the one hand, STAT3 contributes to the development and function of the cells that:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Promote inflammation and kill microbes (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/neutrophils/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">neutrophils</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11239451/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2858484/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Present infectious particles to T-cells (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">dendritic cells</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3507145/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Produce antibodies (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">B-cells</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1895520/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1895906/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396759/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Fight off infections, but which may cause autoimmune and inflammatory disorders if overactivated (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/th17/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th17</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17277312/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17404271/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2435016/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Quickly respond to repeated infections that the body has already developed immunity against (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">memory T-cells</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3228524/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3431922/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 also blocks the immune response by reducing the production of immunosuppressive T-cells (also known as &ldquo;</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/treg/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Tregs</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">&rdquo;) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3441059/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">On the other hand, STAT3 can also act as an immunosuppressant by:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Increasing the expression of its own blocker (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SOC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC22025/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14975238/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12754505/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Preventing dendritic cell development [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15356132/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Blocking the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines by </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/how-to-increase-and-decrease-white-blood-cells/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">white blood cells</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">neutrophils</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">macrophages</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">, and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">dendritic cells</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10023769/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12193690/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3099405/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Producing the B-cells that suppress defense and autoimmunity (commonly known as &ldquo;Bregs&rdquo;) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4048323/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Helping Tregs block </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/th17/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th17</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> development [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408196/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088485/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The STAT3 protein plays a fine-tuning role in the immune system, as it can both stimulate or suppress the immune response under different circumstances.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>STAT3 and Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Autoimmune thyroid disorders are conditions in which the immune system targets the thyroid gland and alters its function, leading to abnormal levels of </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/thyroid-hormones-t4t3/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">thyroid hormones</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. There are two main types [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3189552/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hashimotos/"><strong>Hashimoto&rsquo;s disease</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> T-cells and antibodies target the thyroid gland and attack its tissues, resulting in thyroid hormone deficiency (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/low-thyroid-hormones-low-t3-syndrome/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">hypothyroidism</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">).</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/graves-disease/"><strong>Graves' disease</strong></a><strong>:</strong><span style="font-weight: 400;"> antibodies bind to the thyroid gland causing it to be chronically stimulated, resulting in thyroid hormone overproduction (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">hyperthyroidism</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Despite having opposite symptoms, both conditions have been associated with T-cell imbalances in the immune system. </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-people-th1-dominant/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th1</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cells are known to play a key role in Hashimoto&rsquo;s symptoms, while </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-people-th2-dominant/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th2</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> cells prevail in the case of Graves' disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3189552/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10714432/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12574393/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">More recently, studies in humans and mice have reported that Th17 cells contribute to the progression of both diseases &mdash; especially Hashimoto&rsquo;s [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20696023/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20016049/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3854214/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3708941/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19797122/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20670120/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Given the well-known role of STAT3 in promoting the development of Th17 cells, several studies have suggested that over-active </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants may contribute to the progression of autoimmune thyroid disorders [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2696342/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17277312/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, STAT3 also helps Tregs counteract the actions of Th17 cells, and promotes the production of its own blocker (</span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">SOC3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) in thyroid cells. In this sense, over-active </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">variants may, actually be </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">protective</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> against autoimmune thyroid disorders [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4408196/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3088485/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12847226"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">All in all, it&rsquo;s not yet clear whether STAT3 is better when it&rsquo;s higher or lower, and more research will be needed to fully clarify its potential role in thyroid function and health. Nonetheless, some SNPs in the </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> gene have been associated with certain forms of thyroid disorders, which we&rsquo;ll discuss in the next section.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The two main autoimmune thyroid disorders are Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease. STAT3 may contribute to both of them by stimulating the development of Th17 cells, but may also help prevent them.</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>STAT3 </em>Variants and Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The most widely-studied </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">polymorphism is </span><a href="../../snp/rs744166/"><strong>rs744166</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, whose &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is only slightly more common than the &lsquo;G&rsquo; allele (51% vs 49%). Although its mechanism remains unknown, some researchers have suggested that certain alleles may alter the structure of the STAT3 protein, which changes how it responds to cytokines [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4186844/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">This could disrupt the normal way that the body regulates immune system activity, which may partially explain why this SNP has been associated with autoimmune disorders involving the thyroid.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">For example, one study on over 100 people associated the &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele with both Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease in a Polish population [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26204395"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, other studies investigating this allele have reported conflicting results. One such study on almost 1,000 people found that this allele was only slightly associated with Hashimoto&rsquo;s in a Chinese population, and was not associated with Graves&rsquo; disease at all. Similarly, another study on almost 400 Croatians failed to associate it with Hashimoto&rsquo;s [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3824579/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24460100"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, it is possible that this allele&rsquo;s effects only apply to certain ethnic groups, and more research will be needed to clarify this.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The major &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele of another </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">polymorphism, </span><a href="../../snp/rs3816769/"><strong>rs3816769</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, was also associated with both Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease in the Polish study. People with autoimmune thyroid disorders had &lsquo;TT&rsquo; over 6 times more frequently than &lsquo;CC&rsquo;! [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26204395"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, the Chinese study also reported that the minor allele &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele of </span><a href="../../snp/rs1053005/"><strong>rs1053005</strong></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> was more common in people with either Hashimoto&rsquo;s or Graves' disease. This allele increases STAT3 production &mdash; and although its exact relationship to thyroid disorders hasn&rsquo;t been directly studied, from what we know about this gene in general, it is possible that this increase in STAT3 could contribute to autoimmune thyroid issues by over-activating the immune system [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3824579/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5308728/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">The major allele (&lsquo;A&rsquo;) of rs744166 has been associated with autoimmune thyroid disorders in some studies, but not in others. The major &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele of rs3816769 and the minor &lsquo;C&rsquo; allele of rs1053005 were each associated with autoimmune thyroid disorders in one study.</span></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Your <em>STAT3 </em>Results for Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders</strong></h2> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You can see your genotype for several key </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> SNPs in the table below. However, keep in mind that these results are based on association studies, and more research will be needed to know what role (if any) these variants play in actually </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">causing</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> these disorders. Also, many different factors &mdash; including other genetic and environmental factors &mdash; can influence the risk of autoimmune conditions. Therefore, just because you have one of these genotypes does not necessarily mean you are at an increased risk of developing a thyroid-related autoimmune disorder!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*7512634352244896*</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Primary SNP: </strong><strong><em>STAT3 </em></strong><a href="../../snp/rs744166/"><strong>rs744166</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;A&rsquo; = Possibly more frequent in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;G&rsquo; = Possibly less frequent in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease.</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Population Frequency:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">The &lsquo;A&rsquo; allele is only slightly more common than &lsquo;G&rsquo;. Both homozygous genotypes are similarly frequent and roughly 44% of the world population has &lsquo;AG&rsquo;.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In European descendants, the frequency of the &lsquo;GG&rsquo; phenotype is reduced to 19%.</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Other Important SNPs:</strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>STAT3 </em></strong><a href="../../snp/rs3816769/"><strong>rs3816769</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = More frequent in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = Less frequent in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease.</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Population Frequency:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Almost 45% of the world population has &lsquo;TC&rsquo;.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; is only slightly more common than &lsquo;C&rsquo; in </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">South Asian descendants</span><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (51% vs 49%).</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong><em>STAT3 </em></strong><a href="../../snp/rs1053005/"><strong>rs1053005</strong></a><strong>:</strong></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;T&rsquo; = Less frequent in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">&lsquo;C&rsquo; = More frequent in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease.</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Population Frequency:</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">50% of the world population has two copies of the &lsquo;T&rsquo; allele and 40% has one.</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;">Less than 3% of American descendants have the &lsquo;CC&rsquo; genotype.</li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*1035249048844384*</strong></p> <h2 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Complementary Strategies that May Improve Autoimmune Thyroid Disorders</strong></h2> <p><strong><span style="font-weight: 400;">If you think you may be experiencing symptoms of Hashimoto&rsquo;s or Graves' disease, make sure that your first step is to talk to your doctor so that they can diagnose and treat it!</span></strong></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">You may consider trying the complementary approaches listed below if you and your doctor determine that they could be appropriate for improving your autoimmune thyroid issues. Remember that none of these should ever be used to replace whatever your doctor has recommended or prescribed!</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><strong>*7948700717099958*</strong></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Lifestyle</strong></h3> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Smoking</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several studies in mice have documented the adverse effects of cigarette smoke on the immune system. It increased lung and bowel inflammation by boosting STAT3 and Th17 activity, while blocking Tregs [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2737544/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25677967"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6361762/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. In other words, by changing the activity of these important immune system compounds, smoking could disrupt the normal balance of your immune system, thus making autoimmune issues more likely.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Importantly, smoking has also been associated with Graves' disease, and may even reduce the effectiveness of standard medical treatments! Therefore, giving up smoking and avoiding &ldquo;passive smoking&rdquo; (also known as &ldquo;second-hand&rdquo; smoke) will improve your overall health and may potentially help with Graves' disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23581474"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Heavy Metals</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and mercury may contribute to Hashimoto&rsquo;s by increasing the levels of thyroid antibodies.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Therefore, avoiding exposure to sources of these heavy metals &mdash; such as cigarette smoke, air and water pollution, lead-containing toys, cosmetics, batteries, paints, some plastics, and processed foods &mdash; may preserve thyroid health [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28667913"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Additionally, some compounds used by dentists to fill cavities sometimes contain mercury &mdash; and removing these fillings (and replacing them with mercury-free filling materials) has been reported to lower the production of thyroid antibodies in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16804512"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Therefore, it may be a good idea to double-check with your dentist to make sure you don&rsquo;t have any of these types of fillings, just to be sure.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Sunlight / Vitamin D</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Ultraviolet radiation from </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/avoiding-sun-will-kill-14-proven-science-based-health-benefits-sun/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">sunlight</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> has been found to lower the immune response &mdash; partly by itself and partly by stimulating </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> production. Sunlight has also been reported to reduce the levels of pro-inflammatory Th17 and Th1 cells, while boosting immunosuppressive Tregs. Although these early findings suggest that getting more sunlight or vitamin D may help with autoimmune thyroid disorders, no proper clinical studies have specifically investigated the effects of sunlight on these conditions in humans &mdash; so take these with a grain of salt [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3554687/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3626364/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047889/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]!</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Stress Management</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chronic </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/stress-bad-uncovering-hidden-effects-stress/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">stress</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> activates STAT3 and shifts the immune balance towards </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/supplements-foods-exercise-right-type-th1-vs-th2-dominance/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Th2 dominance</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, suggesting it may trigger Graves' disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3943824/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. Indeed, several observational studies associated stressful events with this condition [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7758236"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1393342"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11453947"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3174109/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. However, it&rsquo;s important to note that none of them have conclusively established stress as its cause, and a few even failed to find this association altogether [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9972676"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22226433"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although more research will be needed to fully confirm the involvement of stress in this autoimmune thyroid disorder, reducing stress is always a good idea to support your overall health &mdash; even if it doesn&rsquo;t target </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">STAT3 </span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">and Graves' disease directly!&nbsp;&nbsp;</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">There is some promising early evidence that lifestyle adjustments such as giving up smoking, reducing your exposure to heavy metals, getting more sunlight, and avoiding stress may help reduce autoimmune thyroid disorders &mdash; although these links will still have to be studied more in humans before their benefits can be fully confirmed.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Diet</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Some early clinical studies support the potential of certain dietary interventions to improve autoimmune thyroid disorders. However, the evidence for these is not yet conclusive, and further research will still be needed to know if these diets are safe and effective for treating autoimmune conditions. Currently, none of these have yet been fully approved by the FDA to treat these conditions, and therefore should not be used to replace approved medical treatments suggested to you by your doctor!</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Vitamin D</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/35proven-health-benefits-vitamin-d-part-1/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Vitamin D</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> deficiency has been associated with both Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease. Supplementation with vitamin D reduced thyroid antibodies in 4 trials on almost 300 people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s, and lowered thyroid hormone levels in another trial on 30 people with Graves' disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4012880/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4446781/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28697689"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31071734"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28073128"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4855971/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9322804"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Based on this, eating vitamin D-rich foods such as fatty fish, beef liver, cheese, and egg yolks may benefit people with autoimmune thyroid disorders.</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Luteolin</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">In mice with Hashimoto&rsquo;s disease, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/top-11-science-based-health-benefits-luteolin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">luteolin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> reduced thyroid inflammation and damage in part by preventing STAT3 activation. Although this effect hasn&rsquo;t been investigated in humans, people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s may benefit from eating more luteolin-rich foods such as parsley, celery, broccoli, cabbage, peppers, carrots, and citrus fruits [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5228320/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <h4 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Gluten / Celiac Disease</strong></h4> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Finally, celiac disease is more frequent in people who also suffer from other autoimmune disorders, including those affecting the thyroid gland. Although it&rsquo;s not clear whether a gluten-free diet can prevent or improve autoimmune thyroid disorders, people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s or Graves' disease may want to get themselves tested for celiac disease too [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27256300"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26303674"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">There is some suggestive evidence that eating a diet rich in vitamin D and luteolin may help with autoimmune thyroid disorders, although more clinical research in humans will be needed to confirm this further.</span></p> <h3 style="text-align: justify;"><strong>Supplements</strong></h3> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Several clinical studies have reported that </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-selenium/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">selenium</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> supplementation improves </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/hypothyroidism-may-good-autoimmunity/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">thyroid function</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and reduces antibody levels in people with Hashimoto&rsquo;s disease. However, because excessive amounts of this mineral has been linked to conditions such as diabetes and blocked arteries, definitely make sure to consult with your doctor before deciding to supplement with selenium [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5307254/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21094028"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Limited clinical evidence has associated </span><a href="https://www.selfhacked.com/blog/gut-bacteria-microbiome/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">gut microbiome</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> disturbances with both Hashimoto&rsquo;s and Graves' disease [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29320965"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6158725/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]. On that note, a few early studies in mice have reported that certain </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/a1probiotics-good-bacteria/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">probiotics</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (such as </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/l-salivarius/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lactobacillus salivarius</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/health-benefits-l-plantarum/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">L. plantarum</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/l-lactis/"><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Lactococcus lactis</span></em></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> and </span><em><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bacteroides fragilis</span></em><span style="font-weight: 400;">) reduced Th17 activity while also boosting Tregs. Some of these probiotic strains also altered STAT3 activity in animal and cellular studies [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3467239/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995369/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4723764/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28294465"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">, </span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30134660"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">].</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">However, more research will be required to better understand what effects these probiotics might have in human users, and whether they are safe and effective enough to use in treating or managing thyroid disorders.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Although their specific effect on autoimmune thyroid disorders hasn&rsquo;t been investigated, the following supplements (or their active compounds, in parentheses) have been reported to improve inflammation/autoimmunity in animal models (such as by reducing STAT3, Th17, and Th1 activity):</span></p> <ul style="text-align: justify;"> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Turmeric (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/curcumin-cures-top-15-scientifically-proven-health-benefits-with-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">curcumin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19539560"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/9-proven-health-benefits-momordica-charantia-bitter-melon-including-risks/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Bitter melon</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (cucurbitacin E) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30240636"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Epimedium (</span><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/icariin/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">icariin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23261528"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/everything-need-know-grapeseed-extract-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Grape seed extract</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3818494/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/19-health-benefits-of-berberine-with-references/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Berberine</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2788891/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/chinese-skullcap/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chinese skullcap</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (</span><a href="http://selfhacked.com/blog/baicalein-baicalin-top-7-health-benefits-flavanoid/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">baicalin</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28709893"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/top-health-benefits-chaga-mushroom/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Chaga mushroom</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30856346"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/burdock-root/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Burdock root</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> (arctigenin) [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26074264"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="https://selfhacked.com/blog/literally-everything-wanted-know-zinc-backed-science/"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Zinc</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> [</span><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20215335"><span style="font-weight: 400;">R</span></a><span style="font-weight: 400;">]</span></li> </ul> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400;">Note, however, that we cannot conclude for certain whether their effects will apply to human users as well. Additional research in humans, especially in the context of autoimmune thyroid disorders, is still needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 400; background-color: #e8ebfc; border-left: 2px solid #4569fa; display: block; padding: 20px;">Selenium supplementation helped with Hashimoto&rsquo;s disease in a few clinical trials. Several probiotics and supplements have been reported to reduce Th17 and STAT3 activity in animals, but additional studies investigating their effects on humans &mdash; especially in the context of autoimmune and thyroid disorders &mdash; are still needed.</span></p> <p style="text-align: justify;">&nbsp;</p>
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71 | content_learn_more_1035249048844384_text == Based on the SNPs we looked at, your STAT3 variants have been moderately associated with autoimmune thyroid disorders such as Hashimoto’s and Graves' disease. However, this doesn't necessarily reflect your overall risk of these conditions — just one gene related to them. Changes in your lifestyle and diet/supplements may help you rebalance your immune system — keep reading to find out more!
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rsIDs = rs1053005,rs3816769,rs744166
rsStatus = rs1053005,STAT3,chr17,42313892,T,C,,,23,19,HET
rsStatus = rs3816769,STAT3,chr17,42346255,T,A,C,,35,0,Normal
rsStatus = rs744166,STAT3,chr17,42362183,A,C,G,,21,0,Normal
