Thyroid abnormalities in systemic lupus erythematosus: a study in 100 Brazilian patients

INTRODUCTION: the association of thyroid abnormalities with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is not well established. OBJECTIVE: to study the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in hundred lupus patients and evaluate a possible association between thyroid dysfunction and SLE disease activity. METHODS: a total of one hundred patients with SLE underwent assessment for clinical and laboratorial thyroid abnormalities. Clinical activity was assessed using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). RESULTS: seventeen patients (17%) had abnormal thyroid function by laboratory testing, which included ten patients (10%) with subclinical hypothyroidism, two patients (2%) with subclinical hyperthyroidism, four patients (4%) with primary hypothyroidism and one patient with serum thyroxine below the normal range. Regarding antithyroid antibodies, six patients were positive, as follows: four (4%) for antiperoxidase, one (1%) for antithyroglobulin and one (1%) for both antibodies. SLE disease activity was not significantly different between groups, regardless of the presence of thyroid dysfunction. CONCLUSION: these results show that thyroid abnormalities are frequently found in SLE patients. However, it does not appear to be an association between thyroid abnormalities and SLE clinical disease activity.

Bibliographic Details

Main Authors:	Kakehasi,Adriana Maria, Dias,Vinícius Naves, Duarte,Juliana Elias, Lanna,Cristina Costa Duarte, Carvalho,Marco Antônio Parreiras de
Format:	Digital revista
Language:	English
Published:	Sociedade Brasileira de Reumatologia 2006
Online Access:	http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0482-50042006000600003
Tags:	Add Tag No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!