No association of psoriasis with autoimmune thyroiditis.
BACKGROUND
Common autoimmune diseases tend to coexist in the same patients. Few studies have examined the possible association between autoimmune thyroiditis and psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis (PsA), with inconsistent results.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriatic patients with or without PsA, living in an iodine-sufficient area.


METHODS
We studied prospectively, 114 psoriatic patients with disease duration of 5-38 years, 30 of them with PsA, and 286 age- and body mass index (BMI)-matched subjects without psoriasis or known thyroid disease or autoimmune disease. A detailed medical history was obtained from all participants and clinical examination and laboratory evaluation was performed. Psoriasis severity was assessed with Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI). Autoimmune thyroiditis was defined by the presence of positive autoantibodies to thyroid peroxidase and/or thyroglobulin.


RESULTS
There was no difference in the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis between psoriatic patients and controls (20.2% vs. 19.6%). The prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in male and female psoriatic patients was similar (9.6% and 10.5% respectively), in contrast to the increased, as expected, prevalence in female vs. male controls (14.7% vs. 4.9%, P < 0.01). Detected cases with hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis were similar in psoriatic patients and controls (7.9% and 7.0% respectively). Autoimmune thyroiditis in psoriatic patients was not related with age of psoriasis onset, psoriasis duration, PASI score, PsA and obesity.


CONCLUSIONS
These data support that psoriatic patients with or without PsA do not have an increased risk for autoimmune thyroiditis.
Endocrine Unit, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic and Research Center, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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Vassilatou
2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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E
Papadavid
2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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P
Papastamatakis
Endocrine Unit, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic and Research Center, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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D
Alexakos
2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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D
Koumaki
Rheumatology Unit, 4th Department of Internal Medicine, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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P
Katsimbri
Endocrine Unit, 2nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic and Research Center, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.|2nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic and Research Center, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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D
Hadjidakis
2nd Department of Internal Medicine-Propaedeutic and Research Center, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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Dimitriadis
2nd Department of Dermatology and Venereology, Athens University Medical School, "Attikon" University Hospital, Athens, Greece.
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Rigopoulos
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000150:complications*; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000150:complications*; D055815:Young Adult