title: Persistent high prevalence of thyroid antibodies after immunosuppressive therapy in subjects with glomerulonephritis. A prospective three-year follow-up study.
abstract: The prevalence of thyroid antibodies, indicating an autoimmune thyroiditis, has been shown to be significantly increased in patients with autoimmune diseases. A 3-year prospective follow-up study of 42 patients with biopsy-confirmed glomerulonephritis is presented. Although the majority of patients had been treated with immunosuppressants, the prevalence of thyroid peroxidase antibodies was unchanged in both females and males, 47 and 15% respectively, at follow-up. Likewise, the prevalence of thyroglobulin antibodies was unaffected as was that of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) when analysing males and females together. However, for males there was a trend to higher prevalence for ANA at follow-up. On the other hand, the prevalence of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies declined. Furthermore, thyroid antibodies were not restricted to membranous nephropathy, and notably found in 4 out of the 8 patients with vasculitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology in Lund, Sweden.
authors.forename: K W
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Westman
authors.forename: P G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Bygren
authors.forename: U B
authors.initials: UB
authors.lastname: Ericsson
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Høier-Madsen
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wieslander
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Erfurth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / Q000032:analysis; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019268:Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic; D001323:Autoantibodies; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase