title: Thyroid Autoimmunity in the Context of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Implications for Vitamin D.
abstract: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with both type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and autoimmune disorders. The association of vitamin D with T2DM and thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) has not been investigated. Thus, we aimed to explore the putative association between T2DM and thyroid autoimmunity (TAI) focusing on the role of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D). Study population included 264 T2DM patients and 234 controls. To explore the potential association between 25(OH)D and thyroid autoimmunity while controlling for potential confounders-namely, age, gender, body mass index, and presence of T2DM-multivariate logistic regression analyses were undertaken. Patients with T2DM were younger (P < 0.001) and had significantly lower 25(OH)D levels (P < 0.001) and higher anti-TPO titers (P = 0.005). Multivariable logistic regression analyses suggested that T2DM and 25(OH)D levels were significantly associated with the presence of thyroid autoimmunity. In an elderly population of diabetic patients and controls with a high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency/insufficiency, a patient with T2DM was found to be 2.5 times more likely to have thyroid autoimmunity compared to a nondiabetic individual and the higher the serum 25(OH)D levels were, the higher this chance was.
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Konstantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Toulis
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Xanthippi
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tsekmekidou
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Potolidis
authors.affiliation: First Propaedeutic Department of Internal Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Triantafyllos
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Didangelos
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nuclear Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gotzamani-Psarrakou
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Pantelis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zebekakis
authors.affiliation: First Department of Medicine, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daniilidis
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: John
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-2053-4651
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yovos
authors.affiliation: Diabetes Center, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, AHEPA University Hospital, 54636 Thessaloniki, Greece.
authors.forename: Kalliopi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotsa