Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction/objective: The exact mechanism of autoimmune thyroid destruction in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) remains unclear. Recently it has been found that the HT patients demonstrate increased levels of anti-DNA antibodies, which may be directed against various nuclear structures and may be involved in process of apoptosis. In this study, we examined the potential association between anti-DNA antibodies levels, thyroid function and activity of autoimmune process in patients with HT.

Patients and methods: The study included 183 females with mean age of 35.4±14.6 years who had various clinical and morphological types of HT, 40 patients with euthyroid endemic goiter (EEG) and 30 healthy donors equal by sex and age. The diagnosis was confirmed according to the standard criteria. The concentrations of free thyroid hormones, TSH, antibodies to thyroglobulin (TG), thyroid peroxidase (TPO) and to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) were measured by ELISA.

Results: All patients with HT showed a significant elevation (P<0.05) of anti-dsDNA antibodies in comparison to donors and patients with EEG. Sensitivity of anti-dsDNA antibodies detection in HT diagnostics was 94.5%. Serum anti-dsDNA antibodies in HT patients showed a significant positive non-linear correlation both with anti-TG antibodies (r=0.79, P<0.001) and anti-TPO antibodies (r=0.99, P<0.0001). Investigation of serum anti-dsDNA antibodies in HT patients with different thyroid function demonstrated a significant positive linear correlation between this antibodies and TSH levels (r=0.87, P<0.001).

Conclusions: In patients with HT concentrations of anti-dsDNA antibodies in serum are positively associated with anti-TG and anti-TPO antibodies levels and TSH. These results suppose possibility that anti-dsDNA antibodies may have a role in pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroid destruction and hypofunction.