Endocrine Abstracts

Background-aim: Tendency to autoimmune diseases has been reported to be increased in beta thalassemia minor (BTM). Our aim was to examine the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity in BTM.

Method: Eighty six adults with BTM and 93 age and gender matched controls were included in the study. The two groups were compared cross-sectionally in terms of anti-thyroid antibodies (anti-TG and anti-TPO) and thyroid hormones. Patients with known autoimmune disorders other than autoimmune thyroid disease were not included in the study.

Results: In the BTM group, serum TSH, FT4, FT3 levels were statistically indifferent from the control group. Serum anti-TG and anti-TPO antibody levels were found to be similar in the two groups. BTM and control groups were similar in terms of anti-thyroid antibody positivity prevalence. In the BTM group, anti-TG was 11.6% and anti-TPO was 14% positive, while these were respectively 14% and 12.9% positive in the control group (P=0.806 and P=0.989, respectively). The proportion of anti-TG and/or anti-TPO antibody positive subjects was found to be 20.9% in the BTM group, and 20.4% in the control group (P=0.919). Ratios of subjects with euthyroidism, hypertiroidism and hypothyroidism were similar in both group.

Conclusion: Because thyroid autoimmunity prevalence in the BTM group is not increased compared to the control group, we consider that there is no necessity for routine anti-thyroid andibodies and thyroid hormone testing in subjects with BTM.