title: Pituitary autoimmunity in patients with diabetes mellitus and other endocrine disorders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pituitary autoimmunity is often found in association with other endocrine autoimmune or non-autoimmune diseases. Aim of the study was to assess the prevalence of serum pituitary antibodies (PitAb) in patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) or Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).
  
  
  METHODS
  In this casecontrol study 111 patients with T1DM, 110 patients with T2DM, and 214 healthy controls were enrolled in a tertiary referral center. Pituitary, thyroperoxidase, thyroglobulin, 21-hydroxylase, and parietal cell antibodies were assessed in all cases. Endocrine function was further assessed by basal hormone measurement and by dynamic tests, as well as a pituitary magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in those patients found positive for PitAb.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PitAb prevalence was higher in T1DM (4 out of 111, 3.6%) than in T2DM (0 out of 110, p=0.045) and in healthy subjects (1 out of 214, 0.5% p=0.029). Prevalence of other autoimmune diseases was significantly higher in patients with T1DM (45 out of 111, 40.5%) when compared with patients with T2DM (18 out of 110 T2DM, 16.3%, p<0.001). Patients with T1DM and PitAb positivity were found with a pituitary lesion at MRI in 2 cases and pituitary dysfunction in one case.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A significant association between pituitary autoimmunity and T1DM was found, in particular in subjects with one or more other endocrine autoimmune diseases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy. via Paradisa, 2 56124 Pisa, Italy. isabellalupi@yahoo.it
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lupi
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Raffaelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Di Cianni
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Caturegli
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Manetti
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Ciccarone
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Bogazzi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mariotti
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Del Prato
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Martino
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004700:Endocrine System Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies