Background and purpose: To investigate the association between thyroid autoantibodies and moyamoya disease (MMD) in patients with an apparent euthyroid state.
Methods: We prospectively studied angiographically diagnosed patients with MMD. We compared demographic profiles, thyroid function test, and thyroid autoantibody status between MMD and control groups.
Results: A total of 63 patients with MMD, 71 patients with non-MMD stroke, and 200 healthy control subjects were included. The prevalence of elevated thyroid autoantibodies was higher in the MMD group than in other groups (P<0.01 for MMD versus non-MMD; P<0.001 for MMD versus control subjects). After adjusting for covariates, the elevated thyroid autoantibodies (OR, 4.871; 95% CI, 1.588 to 15.277) and smoking habits (OR, 0.206 for current smoker; 95% CI, 0.054 to 0.786) were independently associated with MMD versus non-MMD stroke.
Conclusions: Elevated thyroid autoantibodies were frequently observed in patients with MMD. The results of the present study suggest that immune aberrancies associated with or underlying thyroid autoimmunity are also playing a role in developing MMD.