Autoimmune thyroiditis in manic-depressive patients treated with lithium.
To explore whether lithium-induced hypothyroidism is related to an exacerbation of underlying autoimmune processes such as thyroiditis, the authors comprehensively assessed thyroid function in 16 manic-depressive patients. Each of the three patients who showed detectable titers of thyroid microsomal antibodies before treatment manifested a marked increase in antibody titer from 4 to 12 months after lithium treatment was begun. Thus, lithium-induced thyroid dysfunction may not only involve direct effects on the thyroid itself but also involve exacerbation of an underlying indolent autoimmune thyroiditis, possibly by causing shifts in T lymphocyte subpopulations.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013966:Thyroiditis / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood
D007518:Isoantibodies; C035678:anti-Thy antibody; D013972:Thyrotropin; D008094:Lithium; D013974:Thyroxine