Objective: To determine the level of thyroid autoimmunity among clinically euthyroid patients of type 1 and type 2 diabetics and to correlate the levels with pattern of diabetes.
Design: Cross-sectional analytical study.
Place and duration of study: Diabetic Clinic of Shaikh Zayed Hospital, Lahore from August 2004 to April 2005.
Patients and methods: Blood samples were collected from 163 subjects (51 of type 1, 61 of type 2 diabetics and 51 non- diabetic controls) and sera were separated. They were all clinically euthyroid and selected conveniently. Thyroid profile (FT4, TSH and anti-TPO) was assessed in the three groups and compared.
Results: It was observed that at a cut off value of less than 100 units of anti-TPO level was normal, raised anti-TPO antibodies were found in 12% of normal control group, 61% in type 1 and 42.3% in type 2 diabetics. In type 1 diabetics, the TSH was higher in the younger age patients with progressive rise in anti-TPO antibodies level by age. The TSH, anti-TPO antibodies and BSF were significantly higher in type 1 diabetics than in the controls. In type 2 diabetics, TSH was moderately low but anti-TPO antibodies and BSF were higher than in the controls.
Conclusion: Thyroid autoimmune process seems to be correlated more with type 1 diabetic patients than with type 2 patients.