Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: The incidence of depressive type psychoaffective disorders is significantly increased in patients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis.

Objectives: The study of thyroid autoimmunity correlated with serum levels of TSH, FT4 and depression degree.

Methods: The study comprised 70 patients (64 women and 6 men), aged between 18 and 66 years, divided in 4 groups. All study groups were analyzed according to the degree of depression and serum TSH, FT4, thyroid peroxidase antibody(TPOAb),thyroglobulin antibody(TGAb). There were calculated the average values, standard deviation, incidence and statistical significance of p value <0.01. Beck depression test was used to determine the level and severity of depression.

Results: Absence of depression was associated with elevated TSH (6.49±3) and low FT4(10±6); TPOAb values (199±12) and TGAb values (358±8). Minimum depression was correlated with elevated TSH (6.6±3) and normal FT4 (14.8±9.8); TPOAb values (247±18) and TGAb values (385±22). Moderate depression has been associated with normal TSH (4.2±2) and normal FT4 (18.5±15); TPOAb values (253±26) and TGAb values (422±16). Severe depression was accompanied by slightly elevated TSH (4.3±3) and normal FT4(15.5±8.7); TPOAb values (336±18) and TGAb (425±22).

Conclusions: It was revealed a high incidence of depressive disorders among the pacients with chronic autoimmune thyroiditis with a distribution of medium and severe forms of depression predominantly in women without any evidence of thyroid hormonal level involvement.The study shows a heterogeneity of thyroid autoimmunity regarding the effect of antithyroid antibodies in generating psycho-emotional processes commonly found in these patients.