Removal of dental amalgam decreases anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis.
OBJECTIVE
The impact of dental amalgam removal on the levels of anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibodies was studied in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis (AT) with and without mercury allergy.


METHODS
Thirty-nine patients with AT were tested by an optimized lymphocyte proliferation test MELISA for allergy (hypersensitivity) to inorganic mercury. Patients were divided into two groups: Group I (n = 12) with no hypersensitivity to mercury and Group II (n = 27) with hypersensitivity to mercury. Amalgam fillings were removed from the oral cavities of 15 patients with hypersensitivity to mercury (Group IIA) and left in place in the remaining 12 patients (Group IIB). The laboratory markers of AT, anti-TPO and anti-Tg autoantibodies, were determined in all groups at the beginning of the study and six months later.


RESULTS
Compared to levels at the beginning of the study, only patients with mercury hypersensitivity who underwent amalgam replacement (Group IIA) showed a significant decrease in the levels of both anti-Tg (p=0.001) and anti-TPO (p=0.0007) autoantibodies. The levels of autoantibodies in patients with or without mercury hypersensitivity (Group I and Group IIB) who did not replace amalgam did not change.


CONCLUSIONS
Removal of mercury-containing dental amalgam in patients with mercury hypersensitivity may contribute to successful treatment of autoimmune thyroiditis.
Sterzl
Ivan
I
Institute of Immunology and Microbiology, 1st Medical Faculty, Charles University, General Faculty Hospital, Prague, Czech Republic. ister@lf1.cuni.cz
Prochazkova
Jarmila
J
Hrda
Pavlina
P
Matucha
Petr
P
Bartova
Jirina
J
Stejskal
Vera
V
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood*; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology*; D003723:Dental Amalgam / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology*; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008628:Mercury / Q000009:adverse effects; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin; D003723:Dental Amalgam; C056658:TPO protein, human; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D008628:Mercury