"Thyroid dysfunction in Egyptian patients with systemic lupus erythematosus "

Abstract

Autoimmune thyroid disease, marked by the presence of antibodies directed against thyroid antigens, has been associated with a number of non-organ-specific rheumatological disorders as SLE. Although the relationship between autoimmune thyroid disease and SLE has been revealed, the prevalence of thyroid disease in lupus patients is controversial. Reported prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease and antithyroid antibodies in SLE patients varied considerably. It is important for physicians to be aware of the functional and social consequences of the SLE disease and to improve the patient’s quality of life. When treating a patient with SLE, the aim is to suppress disease activity, which is reversible and to prevent the onset of organ damage, which is irreversible. This is facilitated by regular care of SLE and related conditions.

For this reason the aim of our study was to assess thyroid dysfunction in Egyptian patients with SLE, and its association with disease characteristics and disease activity.

Sixty patients with SLE ≥ 18 years who satisfied the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) criteria which was be subdivided according to activity into thirty SLE patients with active disease as group I & thirty SLE patients with inactive disease as group II, and thirty age and sex matched normal volunteer as a control group. The patients was recruited from the outpatient clinic of rheumatology and internal medicine department at Ain Shams University hospitals.