High prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome

in European Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
OE JanssenDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany.

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N MehlmauerDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany.

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S HahnDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany.

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AH OffnerDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany.

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R GartnerDivision of Endocrinology, Department of Medicine, University of Essen, Essen, Germany.

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Volume/Issue:
Volume 150: Issue 3
Page Range:
363–369
Article Type:
Other
Online Publication Date:
01 Mar 2004
Free access

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Over a period of 30 months, 175 patients with PCOS were recruited to a prospective multicenter study to evaluate thyroid function and morphology; 168 age-matched women without PCOS were studied as a control group. METHODS: PCOS was defined as a- or oligomenorrhea, hyperandrogenism and exclusion of other disturbances of estrogen or androgen synthesis. All laboratory parameters were determined with automated immunoassays. Thyroid morphology was assessed by ultrasound. RESULTS: PCOS patients were characterized by an increased LH/FSH ratio, low progesterone, elevated testosterone and a high prevalence of hirsutism (PCOS 83%, control 3%; mean hirsutism score 12+/-5 and 3+/-2 respectively), but no differences in estrogen levels were found. Thyroid function and thyroid-specific antibody tests revealed elevated thyroperoxidase (TPO) or thyroglobulin (TG) antibodies in 14 of 168 controls (8.3%), and in 47 of 175 patients with PCOS (26.9%; P<0.001). On thyroid ultrasound, 42.3% of PCOS patients, but only 6.5% of the controls (P<0.001) had a hypoechoic tissue typical of AIT; while thyroid hormone levels were normal in all subjects, PCOS patients had a higher mean TSH level (P<0.001) and a higher incidence of TSH levels above the upper limit of normal (PCOS 10.9%, controls 1.8%; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: This prospective study demonstrates a threefold higher prevalence of AIT in patients with PCOS, correlated in part with an increased estrogen-to-progesterone ratio and characterized by early manifestation of the disease.

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Print ISSN:
0804-4643
Online ISSN:
1479-683X

     European Society of Endocrinology

Page(s):
7
Article Type:
Other
Print Publication Date:
01 Mar 2004
Online Publication Date:
01 Mar 2004
Sept 2018 onwards Past Year Past 30 Days
Abstract Views 0 0 0
Full Text Views 159 159 16
PDF Downloads 192 192 27