Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Autoimmune diseases have a high prevalence in the general population, and AITD is one of the most common representatives. Although IgE is the main regulator of allergic reactions, there is evidence to suggest a link between AITD and allergic diseases, demonstrated by the example of chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU).

Aims: For this research, we have set the following goals: to determine whether there is an association between the serum level of total IgE and the presence of primary hypothyroidism of autoimmune genesis; to determine whether there is a difference in the presence of extrathyroid manifestations of autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with high IgE levels; to determine whether there is a correlation between the severity of the clinical picture of primary hypothyroidism in relation to the height of the IgE and anti-TPO antibody titers.

Materials and Methods: The research was conducted as a prospective study at the Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases as well as at the Clinic for Dermatovenerology, on a sample of 62 patients. All subjects underwent to laboratory tests of interest for the research from a sample of peripheral venous blood, as well as ultrasonography of the thyroid gland. All subjects were divided into two groups based on total serum IgE level (group with elevated total IgE level and group with normal level).

Results: All patients included were diagnosed with AITD, with or without thyroid function disorder. The population in our sample was dominated by females. 19.4% had urticaria. 24.1% of subjects had elevated levels of total serum IgE, and subjects with combined AITD and urticaria had significantly higher values of total serum IgE. Average TSH values were statistically significantly lower in patients with elevated total serum IgE values. The most common ultrasonographic finding was the heterogeneity of the thyroid gland parenchyma. A low moderate, negative correlation was detected regarding the value of total serum IgE and the level of anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibodies.

Conclusion: The results of the conducted research indicate the existence of a statistically significantly higher titer level of the total serum IgE antibodies in the group of subjects with CSU, with statistically significantly lower values of TSH, which implies the possible epipathogenetic effect of an elevated serum level of IgE on the occurrence of the thyroid dysfunction, as well as that a high level of IgE antibodies shows a tendency towards the presence of extrathyroidal manifestations of autoimmunity.