Thyroid Autoimmunity in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes mellitus

Vol. 52, No. 3, 1999

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Original Paper

Thyroid Autoimmunity in Children and Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes mellitus
Effect of Age, Gender and HLA Type
R.W. Holl^a, B. Bohm^c, U. Loos^c, M. Grabert^d, E. Heinze^b, J. Homoki^b

^aDepartment of Pediatrics, University of Giessen, andDepartments of
^bPediatrics,
^cInternal Medicine I, and
^dApplied Information Technology, University of Ulm, Germany

Address of Corresponding Author

Horm Res 1999;52:113-118 (DOI: 10.1159/000023446)

Key Words

Type 1 diabetes mellitus
Hashimoto thyroiditis
Age
Diabetes duration
HLA system

Abstract

Type 1 diabetes is often associated with additional autoimmune phenomena. However, data reported on the frequency of thyroid autoimmunity differ vastly. Therefore, the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies was evaluated at a large pediatric diabetes center in Southern Germany. 2,305 determinations (TPO and TG, ELISA) were performed in 495 patients with type 1 diabetes (234 boys, 261 girls; age at last measurement: 15.4 ± 0.3 years, duration of diabetes 7.5 ± 0.2 years). The prevalence of elevated thyroid antibodies increased dramatically with age: from 3.7% in patients less than 5 years of age up to 25.3% in the age group 15-20 years (p < 0.0001). For children older than 10 years, girls were significantly more affected than boys (p < 0.0001). Thyroid autoimmunity tended to be more prevalent in the subgroup of patients with the HLA type DR3/DR4 compared to patients with other HLA types (p = 0.08). In children older than 10 years, basal TSH concentrations were significantly elevated in antibody-positive patients (p < 0.05). In conclusion, thyroid autoimmunity is prevalent in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Adolescent girls and young women are especially affected. Yearly routine determinations of thyroid antibodies are therefore recommended.

Author Contacts

Prof. Dr. Reinhard W. Holl
University Children's Hospital Giessen
Feulgenstrasse 12, D-35385 Giessen (Germany)
Tel. +49 641 99 43463, Fax +49 641 99 43459
E-Mail reinhard.w.holl@paediat.med.uni-giessen.de

Article Information

Received: Received: April 8, 1999
Accepted after revision: October 12, 1999
Number of Print Pages : 6
Number of Figures : 3, Number of Tables : 1, Number of References : 25

Medline Abstract (ID 10725774)

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