About

Sara Salehi Hammerstad

Position: Endocrinologist MD. PhD student
Place of work: Dept of Endocrinology, Oslo University Hospital, Aker
E-mail: s.s.hammerstad@medisin.uio.no
Phone: +47 22 89 40 00

Groups

Childhood diabetes - Knut Dahl-Jørgensen

Current research focus

Virus, genetics and autoimmunity in thyroiditis. A biopsy study.

 Summary of the project:
The aim of this study is to verify whether viruses may cause thyroid dysfunction in genetically predisposed patients. Thyroid biopsies will be performed to study whether a virus infection is present, to isolate the viruses and possibly its receptors.

Detect viruses and virus receptors directly in thyroid tissue in patients newly diagnosed with AITD.

  • Describe the related immunological processes. 

Search for genetic factors, predisposing or modifying AITD.

Methods: Patients with thyroid disease will be recruited in early stage of the disease. In addition thyroid tissue from control patients will be obtained to define normal values. 

Design: Prospective controlled study. 

Patients: 10-40 in each group. Age 18-50. Control patients: N: 50

Thyroid biopsy procedure has been approved by the Norwegian Government’s Ethics Committee. Biopsies are taken as soon as the diagnosis is established. We plan to perform the following examinations:

  • Histology, electron microscopy and immunohistochemistry of thyroid tissue.

  • mRNA extraction and microarray screening analysis for viruses in tissue samples from the thyroid and virus verification by PCR , in situ hybridisation and immunochemistry.

  • Virus isolation from stool, blood samples, and thyroid biopsies. 

  • Sequencing of viruses found.

  • Gene expression analysis: “Whole genome” microarray analysis from thyroid tissue. 

Comparison with control group samples for identification of candidate susceptibility genes for thyroid disease.

Publications

 

Blackard, J. T., L. Kong, A. Lombardi, D. Homann, S. S. Hammerstad, and Y. Tomer. "A Preliminary Analysis of Hepatitis C Virus in Pancreatic Islet Cells." [In eng]. Virol J 14, no. 1 (Dec 20 2017): 237. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-017-0905-3.

Brown, R. S., A. Lombardi, A. Hasham, D. A. Greenberg, J. Gordon, E. Concepcion, S. S. Hammerstad, et al. "Genetic Analysis in Young-Age-of-Onset Graves' Disease Reveals New Susceptibility Loci." [In eng]. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 99, no. 7 (Jul 2014): E1387-91. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2013-4358.

Bøhmer, T., Z. Bachtyari, C. Sommer, and S. S. Hammerstad. "Auto Regulatory Capacity of the Thyroid Gland after Numerous Iodinated Contrast Media Investigations." [In eng]. Scand J Clin Lab Invest 80, no. 3 (May 2020): 191-95. https://doi.org/10.1080/00365513.2019.1709658.

Hammerstad, S. S., J. T. Blackard, A. Lombardi, R. P. Owen, E. Concepcion, Z. Yi, W. Zhang, and Y. Tomer. "Hepatitis C Virus Infection of Human Thyrocytes: Metabolic, Hormonal, and Immunological Implications." [In eng]. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 105, no. 4 (Apr 1 2020): 1157-68. https://doi.org/10.1210/clinem/dgz241.

Hammerstad, S. S., S. F. Grock, H. J. Lee, A. Hasham, N. Sundaram, and Y. Tomer. "Diabetes and Hepatitis C: A Two-Way Association." [In eng]. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 6 (2015): 134. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2015.00134.

Hammerstad, S. S., F. L. Jahnsen, S. Tauriainen, H. Hyöty, T. Paulsen, I. Norheim, and K. Dahl-Jørgensen. "Immunological Changes and Increased Expression of Myxovirus Resistance Protein a in Thyroid Tissue of Patients with Recent Onset and Untreated Graves' Disease." [In eng]. Thyroid 24, no. 3 (Mar 2014): 537-44. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2013.0287.

———. "Inflammation and Increased Myxovirus Resistance Protein a Expression in Thyroid Tissue in the Early Stages of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis." [In eng]. Thyroid 23, no. 3 (Mar 2013): 334-41. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2012.0264.

Hammerstad, S. S., I. Norheim, T. Paulsen, L. M. Amlie, and E. F. Eriksen. "Excessive Decrease in Serum Magnesium after Total Thyroidectomy for Graves' Disease Is Related to Development of Permanent Hypocalcemia." [In eng]. World J Surg 37, no. 2 (Feb 2013): 369-75. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00268-012-1843-2.

Hammerstad, S. S., M. Stefan, J. Blackard, R. P. Owen, H. J. Lee, E. Concepcion, Z. Yi, W. Zhang, and Y. Tomer. "Hepatitis C Virus E2 Protein Induces Upregulation of Il-8 Pathways and Production of Heat Shock Proteins in Human Thyroid Cells." [In eng]. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 102, no. 2 (Feb 1 2017): 689-97. https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2016-3403.

Hammerstad, S. S., S. Tauriainen, H. Hyöty, T. Paulsen, I. Norheim, and K. Dahl-Jørgensen. "Detection of Enterovirus in the Thyroid Tissue of Patients with Graves' Disease." [In eng]. J Med Virol 85, no. 3 (Mar 2013): 512-8. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmv.23476.

Lambertini, L., S. R. Saul, A. B. Copperman, S. S. Hammerstad, Z. Yi, W. Zhang, Y. Tomer, and N. Kase. "Intrauterine Reprogramming of the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Evidence from a Pilot Study of Cord Blood Global Methylation Analysis." [In eng]. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 8 (2017): 352. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2017.00352.

Lee, H. J., C. W. Li, S. S. Hammerstad, M. Stefan, and Y. Tomer. "Immunogenetics of Autoimmune Thyroid Diseases: A Comprehensive Review." [In eng]. J Autoimmun 64 (Nov 2015): 82-90. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2015.07.009. 

Lombardi, A., E. Tsomos, S. S. Hammerstad, and Y. Tomer. "Interferon Alpha: The Key Trigger of Type 1 Diabetes." [In eng]. J Autoimmun 94 (Nov 2018): 7-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2018.08.003.

Tomer, Y., L. M. Dolan, G. Kahaly, J. Divers, R. B. D'Agostino, Jr., G. Imperatore, D. Dabelea, et al. "Genome Wide Identification of New Genes and Pathways in Patients with Both Autoimmune Thyroiditis and Type 1 Diabetes." [In eng]. J Autoimmun 60 (Jun 2015): 32-9. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaut.2015.03.006.

Weider, T., S. J. Richardson, N. G. Morgan, T. H. Paulsen, K. Dahl-Jørgensen, and S. S. Hammerstad. "Upregulation of Hla Class I and Antiviral Tissue Responses in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis." [In eng]. Thyroid 30, no. 3 (Mar 2020): 432-42. https://doi.org/10.1089/thy.2019.0607.