title: Gluten-free diet and autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with celiac disease. A prospective controlled study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Early diagnosis and dietary treatment with a gluten-free diet might slow down the progression of associated autoimmune diseases in celiac disease, but the data are contradictory. We investigated the course of autoimmune thyroid diseases in newly diagnosed celiac disease patients before and after gluten-free dietary treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-seven consecutive adults with newly diagnosed celiac disease were investigated at the time of diagnosis and after 1 year on gluten-free diet. Earlier diagnosed and subclinical autoimmune thyroid diseases were recorded and examined. Thyroid gland volume and echogenicity were measured by ultrasound. Autoantibodies against celiac disease and thyroiditis, and thyroid function tests were determined. For comparison, 27 non-celiac controls on normal gluten-containing diet were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the time of diagnosis, the celiac disease patients had more manifest (n = 7) or subclinical (n = 3) thyroid diseases than the controls (10/27 vs. 3/27, p = 0.055). During the follow-up, the thyroid volume decreased significantly in the patients with celiac disease compared with the controls, indicating the progression of thyroid gland atrophy despite the gluten-free diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Celiac patients had an increased risk of thyroid autoimmune disorders. A gluten-free diet seemed not to prevent the progression of autoimmune process during a follow-up of 1 year.
authors: Department of Internal Medicine, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.
authors: Saara
authors: S
authors: Metso
authors: Henni
authors: H
authors: Hyytiä-Ilmonen
authors: Katri
authors: K
authors: Kaukinen
authors: Heini
authors: H
authors: Huhtala
authors: Pia
authors: P
authors: Jaatinen
authors: Jorma
authors: J
authors: Salmi
authors: Jyrki
authors: J
authors: Taurio
authors: Pekka
authors: P
authors: Collin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D002446:Celiac Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000178:diet therapy*; D055050:Diet, Gluten-Free; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000178:diet therapy*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; C056626:thyroid microsomal antibodies; D013972:Thyrotropin