Atopy and autoimmune thyroid diseases: melatonin can be useful?
Recently, there has been growing interest in the relationship between allergic and autoimmune diseases. Allergy and autoimmunity can be considered two potential outcomes of dysregulated immunity and analysis of literature data shows a strong positive association between a history of Th2-mediated allergic disorders and Th1-mediated autoimmune disorders.Autoimmune thyroid diseases are the most common of all autoimmune pathological conditions.Currently, the mechanisms explaining an association among atopy, autoimmunity, and thyroid diseases are not fully understood.There are data in literature pointing to the relationship between melatonin and thyroid activity. Several studies have suggested a paracrine role for this molecule in the regulation of thyroid activity, documenting that administration, as an antioxidant, in thyroid tissues under conditions of increased oxidative stress, could be helpful to reduce the oxidative processes involved in autoimmune thyroid diseases.Although thyroid autoimmunity has been regularly associated with atopic conditions in children, the possible protective role of melatonin has not yet been investigated.This review summarizes what is known regarding the connection between atopy and autoimmune thyroid diseases, and analyses the probable beneficial action of melatonin.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy. gabridangelo@alice.it.
Gabriella
G
D'Angelo
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Lucia
L
Marseglia
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Sara
S
Manti
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Laura
L
Colavita
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Caterina
C
Cuppari
Unit of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Pietro
P
Impellizzeri
Unit of Paediatric Surgery, Department of Paediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Salvatore
S
Arena
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Teresa
T
Arrigo
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Carmelo
C
Salpietro
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pediatrics, University of Messina, Via Consolare Valeria 1, 98125, Messina, Italy.
Eloisa
E
Gitto
D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000975:Antioxidants; D008550:Melatonin
Allergic diseases; Dysregulated immune system; Melatonin; Thyroid autoimmunity