ADIPOQ and systemic lupus erythematosus: The effect of adipokines, which comprise a number of different cytokines including, e.g., leptins, adiponectins, TNF-α, and IL-6, on thyroid tissue has been suggested as a triggering mechanism for autoimmune thyroiditis, which probably precedes or coincides with the diagnosis of another systemic autoimmune disease such as pSS and SLE.