ESPE Abstracts

Key words: autoimmune diseases, autoimmune thyroid disease, Hashimoto thyroiditis, Graves Disease

Introduction: Autoimmune diseases are significant and common health problem, which incidence in population increase. They affect 3- 5% of the general population, mainly females. The most common in children are: autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) and type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). AITD and T1DM are known from their prevalence and possibility of co-occurrence with each other and other autoimmune diseases. The pathogenesis of AITD involves a loss of immune tolerance to own antigens, manifested by lymphocytic infiltration, damage to the thyroid gland and the production of specific autoantibodies. There are two major forms of AITD: Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) and Graves disease (GD).aim of the study The aimof the study was to assess the comorbidity of other autoimmune diseases with autoimmune thyroid diseases.

Material and Methods: The study group consisted of 198 patients diagnosed with AITD, 126 with HT and 72 with GD, 162 girls and 36 boys. The study included: age, gender, duration and form of the disease, coexistence of another autoimmune diseases.

Results: In the entire group of children with AITD the co-occurrence of other autoimmune diseases was observed in 41.42% (n = 83) of 198 children. T1DM was most frequently noted in 31.82% (n = 63), followed by coeliac disease- 10.6% (n = 21), vitiligo- 5.56% (n = 11), Addison's disease (AD)- 2.02% (n = 2). Less frequently observed were: alopecia areata - 1.52% (n = 3), juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) - 1.01% (n = 2), psoriasis - 1.01% (n = 2), essential thrombocytopaenia - 1.01% (n = 2), myasthenia gravis (MG) - 0.51% (n = 1). A statistically significantly more frequent coexistence of other autoimmune diseases was observed in the oldest age group (11-18 years) of the examined children with AITD, no such relationship was found with gender. Children with HT were significantly more likely to have other autoimmune disease than with GD, and their presented a higher number of additional autoimmune diseases, with the most frequent T1DM.

Conclusion: 1. Children with AITD show high risk of developing other autoimmune diseases, most commonly type 1 diabetes mellitus. 2. Patients with Hashimoto's disease are more predisposed to developing an additional autoimmune disease than those with Graves' disease