Endocrine Abstracts

Autoimmune diseases (ADs) are conditions under which an individual develops antibodies against their own cells, tissues and/or organ systems. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic multi system disease of unknown cause with multiple systemic manifestations. Autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) are characterized by the presence of antibodies against thyroglobulin, thyroid peroxidase, or thyrotropin receptor autoantigens. The relationship between RA and the thyroid gland has been studied extensively, with several studies demonstrating the autoimmune nature of thyroid dysfunctions in RA. In the current study we ought to investigate the coexistence of thyroid dysfunction in a group of RA patients.

This study was conducted at Aleppo University Hospital on RA patients attending the rheumatology outpatient clinic. Laboratory evaluation of serum FT₃, FT₄, TSH, antimicrosomal antibodies, and antithyroglobulin antibodies levels were measured by Immunochemical analyzer Cobas e 411 HITACHI Hoffman Le Roche company (Switzerland).

The total number of RA patients was 112.7% of RA patients have thyroid dysfunction. 12.5% have hyperthyroidism, 25% have subclinical hypothyroidism, 50% hypothyroidism, and 12.5 were euthyroids. Thyroglobulin antibodies were positive in 50% of patients. Microsomal antibodies were positive in 87.5%. Rheumatic factor was positive in 87.5% of patients with thyroid dysfunction.

Our results accords with other studies in regard to the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in RA patients. In the present study, subclinical hypothyroidism and primary hypothyroidism were the most common alterations among RA patients. These results indicate that the presence of one AD in a patient should alert the clinician to the possibility of additional ADs; and it is clinically important to screen patients with RA for the coexistence of thyroid autoimmune disease.