title: The Frequency of Autoimmune Thyroid Disease in Alopecia Areata and Vitiligo Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Many studies demonstrated that alopecia areata (AA) and vitiligo are commonly associated with autoimmune thyroid diseases. We aimed to investigate the frequency of thyroid dysfunctions and autoimmunity related with vitiligo and AA.
  
  
  METHODS
  200 patients, 92 AA and 108 vitiligo diagnosed, were surveyed retrospectively. The control population was in reference range and from Konya, central Anatolian region of Turkey. Thyroid function tests (free T3, free T4, and TSH) and serum thyroid autoantibody (anti-TG, anti-TPO) levels were evaluated in all patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In vitiligo patients, 9 (8.3%) had elevated anti-TG levels and 16 (14.8%) had elevated anti-TPO, and in 17 patients (15.7%) TSH levels were elevated and 3 (2.8%) patients had elevated fT4 levels and 5 (4.6%) had elevated fT3 levels. Within AA patients, 2 (2.2%) had anti-TG elevation and 13 (14.1%) had anti-TPO elevation, in 7 patients (7.6%) TSH were elevated, and in 1 patient (1.1%) fT4 were elevated and 5 (5.4%) patients had elevated fT3 levels.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our study, impaired thyroid functions and thyroid autoantibodies in vitiligo and AA patients were identified at lower rates than the previous studies. According to results of this study there is no need for detailed examination in alopecia areata and vitiligo patients without clinical history.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, 42090 Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Gulcan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Saylam Kurtipek
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Meram Faculty of Medicine, Necmettin Erbakan University, 42090 Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Fatma Gökşin
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Cihan
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Konya Training and Research Hospital, 42090 Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Şule
authors.initials: Ş
authors.lastname: Erayman Demirbaş
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Konya Training and Research Hospital, 42090 Konya, Turkey.
authors.forename: Arzu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ataseven
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000506:Alopecia Areata / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D015551:Autoimmunity / Q000276:immunology / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D014421:Turkey; D014820:Vitiligo / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology