[Increased occurrence of autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with chronic rheumatoid arthritis].
The frequent occurrence of both rheumatoid arthritis and autoimmune thyroiditis was already investigated with in part many conflicting results. We investigated a number of 792 patients (383 of them suffering from rheumatoid arthritis and 409 with osteoarthritis). In all patients antithyroid peroxidase and antithyroglobulin antibodies were determined. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed a significantly higher occurrence of circulating thyroid antibodies than those with osteoarthritis (9.1% versus 3.7%, p = 0.0016). We conclude that there exists a cumulate coincidence of both diseases. Patients suffering from rheumatoid arthritis should undergo a thyroid examination especially for the presence of autoimmune thyroiditis.
Pongratz
R
R
Internen Abteilung des Krankenhauses der Barmherzigen Brüder, Eggenberg, Graz. rheuma.ambulanz@bbegg.at
Buchinger
W
W
Semlitsch
G
G
Meister
E
E
Nadler
K
K
Rainer
F
F
D000368:Aged; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D015897:Comorbidity; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010003:Osteoarthritis / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D013954:Thyroglobulin; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase