Endocrine Abstracts

Objectives: To investigate how the immune associations (IA) may have significance for diagnosis or therapy in thyroiditis.

Material and method: Patients: A. ‘Classical’ Hashimoto thyroiditis (hyper-ATPO-emia, HT) =1092, B. thyroiditis with isolated hyper-ATG-emia, with normal ATPO (T-ATG) =61, C. thyroiditis ‘sero-negative’ (normal ATPO and ATG, pathology diagnosis) =5, D. idiopathic myxedema (hypothyroidism, no A, B,C) =70; E. control =998. 2. Statistical analysis: χ² test.

Results: 1 Total IA: TH =189 (17.31%, P<<0.001); T-ATG =15 (24.59%, P=0.002); ‘sero-negative’ =1 (14.29%); idiopathic mixedema =10 (14.29%); control: 99 (9.46%). 2. Main IA: A. Graves-Basedow disease: TH: 141 (12.91%), T-TAG: 3 (4.92%); B. Vitiligo: TH =35, P=0.0001; T-ATG =2; Control =9. C. Dermatitis: TH =16, P=0.004. D. Immune ovaritis with precocious menopause: TH =12, P=0.024. E. Biermer anemia: only in HT =11; P=0.001. F. Drug allergy: TH: 17, P=0.01. G. Rheumatoid arthritis: TH =8, but in controls =18; (NS); Mixedema: 2 (NS). 3. Multiple associations: cerebral vasculitis with Sneddon sd, pulmonary fibrosis, cryoglobulinemia, virus C hepatitis (IFN) and sicca sd; Sarcoidosis with drug allergy, scleroderma, adenomegaly and arthritis; IDDM plus widespread vitiligo and hyperthyroidism; bronchial asthma with postpartum trombophilia and antiphospholipidic sd; selective alopecia areata (no eyebrows), ferriprive anemia and miopia; Sharp disease, zona zoster, dispepsia, alopecia areata and trombocytosis.

Conclusions: i) HT and T-ATG has immune associations with increased frequency. ii) The most significant and prevalent association are: Graves-Basedow, vitiligo, Biermer anaemia, drug allergy, early menopause with immune ovaritis. iii) HT, T-ATG and idiopathic mixedema are not significantly associated with other immune conditions: rheumatoid arthritis, IDDM, B/C hepatitis. iv) Multiple immune associations are common. v) Breast cancer are not associated with chronic thyroiditis. vi) Amiodarone administration did not induce TH, T-ATG, significantly.

Declaration of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest that could be perceived as prejudicing the impartiality of the research project.

Funding: This research did not receive any specific grant from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sector.