Status of antithyroid antibodies in Bangladesh.
To study autoimmunity among thyroid diseases, 397 thyroid patients (age 30 (13) years; M/F 75/322) from two referral centres in Bangladesh and 94 healthy controls (age 30 (13) years; M/F 24/70) were studied for antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies. Thyroid patients were clinically grouped as suspected autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), non-autoimmune, or indeterminate groups (where no decision could be reached). Antimicrosomal antibody was strongly positive in 19.4% and weakly positive in 7.3% of patients but only 4.3% and 2.1% respectively in the controls (chi(2) = 17.852; p = 0.000) whereas strong and weak positivity were 27.2% and 6. 8% in patients compared with 8.5% and 4.3% respectively in the controls (chi(2) = 16.916; p = 0.000) for antithyroglobulin antibody. Antibodies were positive in 63.0% with Hashimoto's thyroiditis, 36.4% with Graves' disease, and 44.7% with atrophic thyroiditis among the autoimmune group. In the non-autoimmune group antibodies were positive in 100% with multinodular hypothyroidism, 46.7% with subacute thyroiditis, 40.0% with suspected iodine deficiency goitre, 31.3% with toxic multinodular goitre, 30.8% with non-toxic solitary nodules, and 19.4% with simple diffuse goitre. None was positive for antimicrosomal antibody without being positive for antithyroglobulin antibody. The two antibodies strongly correlated in both patients (r = 0.977, p = 0.000) and controls (r = 0.986, p = 0.000). About 9% (36/397) of patients were mismatched with the final diagnosis on antibody measurement; most of them had Hashimoto's thyroiditis (33/36). Prevalence of AITD among thyroid patients was 48.36%. Specificity of antimicrosomal and antithyroglobulin antibodies were 93% and 87%. It was concluded that AITD is not uncommon in Bangladesh; antimicrosomal antibody is a useful marker for AITD and unless antibodies are checked, an appreciable number of patients with AITDs will remain undetected.
Hasanat
M A
MA
Endocrine Clinic, Department of Internal Medicine, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka, Bangladesh. immunols@bdonline.com
Rumi
M A
MA
Alam
M N
MN
Hasan
K N
KN
Salimullah
M
M
Salam
M A
MA
Fariduddin
M
M
Mahtab
H
H
Khan
A K
AK
D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001459:Bangladesh / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008861:Microsomes / Q000276:immunology*; D015995:Prevalence; D013954:Thyroglobulin / Q000276:immunology*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology
D001323:Autoantibodies; D015415:Biomarkers; D013954:Thyroglobulin