title: Autoimmune thyroiditis associated with mild "subclinical" hypothyroidism in adults with Down syndrome: a comparison of patients with and without manifestations of Alzheimer disease.
abstract: Serum tests of thyroid function were compared in Down syndrome (DS) patients with and without manifestations of Alzheimer disease (AD). Relative to control individuals, DS patients had, overall, lower mean total T4 (P = 0.070) and T3f (P = 0.015), higher T3U (P = 0.013) and TSH (P = 0.020), no difference in free T4, and higher thyroid antithyroglobulin (ATA) (P = 0.033) and antimicrosomal autoantibody (AMA) titres (P = 0.0097). Similar trends were apparent in DS males and females, and in DS patients off all drugs. In an analysis of case/control pairs with corrections for age and sex, DS patients with AD manifestations (n = 9) had significantly lower T3 (P = 0.029) and higher AMA (P = 0.043) than paired control individuals, whereas DS patients without AD manifestations (n = 20) had significantly lower T3 (P = 0.013) but higher ATA (P = 0.0065). T3 was significantly lower in the DS patients with AD manifestations than in the unaffected (P = 0.0013). These data suggest that autoimmune thyroiditis associated with a mild "subclinical" form of hypothyroidism is common in adult DS patients and more pronounced in patients with AD manifestations than in those without. This "subclinical" hypothyroidism may contribute to cognitive deficits in ageing DS patients.
authors: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Toronto, Canada.
authors: M E
authors: ME
authors: Percy
authors: A J
authors: AJ
authors: Dalton
authors: V D
authors: VD
authors: Markovic
authors: D R
authors: DR
authors: Crapper McLachlan
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Gera
authors: J T
authors: JT
authors: Hummel
authors: A C
authors: AC
authors: Rusk
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Somerville
authors: D F
authors: DF
authors: Andrews
authors: P G
authors: PG
authors: Walfish
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D000906:Antibodies / Q000032:analysis; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000150:complications / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D013960:Thyroid Function Tests; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D014284:Triiodothyronine / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D014284:Triiodothyronine; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D013974:Thyroxine