title: Prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies in children, adolescents and young adults with type 1 diabetes in Kuwait.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity among children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes in Kuwait.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a mixed cross-sectional and longitudinal study, anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) were measured in 232 subjects (118 males and 114 females) with type 1 diabetes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the total study population was 10.9 ± 3.6 years (range 1-21), and the median diabetes duration was 3.9 years (range 0-16). At the initial screening, 57 out of 232 (24.6%) patients had positive antibodies, and of the remaining 175 patients, who were antibody negative,131 (74.3%) were followed up for 4-9 years. 23 out of these 131 (17.7%) patients became antibody positive, with a cumulative prevalence of elevated antibodies of 34.5%. Anti-TPO was present in 34 (14.7%), anti-TG in 23 (9.9%) and both antibodies in 23 (9.9%) patients. Thyroid antibodies presented early within the first 5 years of the onset of diabetes (63.2 vs. 36.8%, p < 0.05). The prevalence of elevated thyroid antibodies increased after the onset of puberty in both females and males (p < 0.0001). A total of 58.7% of the patients with positive antibodies were females compared to 41% males (p < 0.0001). The basal thyroid-stimulating hormone was higher in subjects with positive antibodies (5.1 ± 10.7 mIU/l) compared to those who were antibody negative (1.79 ± 0.87 mIU/l, p < 0.001). Furthermore, 30 out of 232 (12.9%) patients developed thyroid dysfunction.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study, a high prevalence of thyroid autoimmune antibodies was found in patients either at the onset of type 1 diabetes or within the 4-9 years of follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Al-Amiri Hospital, Dasman Diabetes Institute, Kuwait City, Kuwait.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Khawari
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaltout
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Qabazard
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Sane
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Elkum
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D001324:Autoantigens / Q000276:immunology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase / Q000276:immunology; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D007730:Kuwait; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015995:Prevalence; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood; D013974:Thyroxine / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D001324:Autoantigens; D033862:Iron-Binding Proteins; C006606:anti-thyroglobulin; D013972:Thyrotropin; C056658:TPO protein, human; D007453:Iodide Peroxidase; D013974:Thyroxine