title: Autoimmune thyroid diseases in patients with undifferentiated connective tissue disease.
abstract: Previous data have indicated that organ-specific and non-organ-specific autoimmune diseases may occur in the same patient. We report here our study on the type and prevalence of endocrine autoimmune diseases in undifferentiated connective tissue disease (UCTD). A retrospective analysis revealed five out of 75 UCTD cases (6.6%) with cytology-verified autoimmune thyroiditis (associated with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus in one case). Other UCTD patients had Graves' disease (one case), non-toxic multinodular goitre (two cases) and central hypothyroidism (one case). In a prospective study, thyroid function was evaluated in 15 consecutive UCTD patients with neither clinical nor laboratory signs of thyroid involvement. Basal and post-TRH stimulation TSH levels were significantly higher in UCTD patients than in healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Internal Medicine, Hematology and Clinical Immunology, University of Ancona, Italy. eleonora@popcsi.unian.it
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Danieli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rossetti
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fraticelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Malcangi
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Testa
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Danieli
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear / Q000276:immunology; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000974:Antibodies, Antinuclear; D001324:Autoantigens; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; D013972:Thyrotropin; D013954:Thyroglobulin; C056658:TPO protein, human; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase