Stress is not associated with thyroid peroxidase autoantibodies in euthyroid women.
OBJECTIVE
Multiple genes and environmental factors play a role in the etiology of autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD). In Graves' hyperthyroidism, stress is such an environmental factor, but whether it plays a role in Hashimoto's hypothyroidism is unknown. We used validated questionnaires to evaluate an association between TPO antibodies, an early marker for AITD, and self-reported stress.


METHODS
Recently Experienced Stressful Life Events, Daily Hassles, and mood (tendency to report positive and negative affects) were assessed in 759 euthyroid subjects.


RESULTS
TPO antibodies were found in 183/759 (24%) of subjects. The TPO-Ab positive subjects were older (39.7+/-12 vs. 34.2+/-12 years; p<.001) than the TPO-Ab negative subjects, but the number of daily hassles (24+/-14 vs. 25+/-14; p=.24), the number of stressful life events (10+/-6 vs. 11+/-6; p=.09), and the scores on the affect scales (22.1+/-7.4 vs. 22.2+/-7.3; p=.89 for negative affect and 38.2+/-5.1 vs. 38.3+/-5.3; p=.91 for positive affect) were similar in TPO-Ab positive and TPO- Ab negative subjects.


CONCLUSIONS
We found no association between recently experienced stressful life events, daily hassles or mood and the presence of TPO antibodies in these euthyroid women.
Strieder
Thea G A
TG
Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Academical Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, 1105 AZ Amsterdam Zuidoost, The Netherlands. t.g.strieder@amc.uva.nl
Prummel
Mark F
MF
Tijssen
Jan G P
JG
Brosschot
Jos F
JF
Wiersinga
Wilmar M
WM
D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D015984:Causality; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands / Q000453:epidemiology; D012016:Reference Values; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology*
D001323:Autoantibodies; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase