Volume 1 number 1 Summer 2003
Special issue for the abstracts of the 7th Pan Arab Conference on Diabetes
PACD7 , 25 – 28 March 2003 Cairo

Abstract Number : 41
Thyroid Autoimmunity in Type 1 Diabetics

Hanan Fathy, MD; Mona Mamdouh, MD; Fayza Abdel-Hamid, MD;
Hoda Marzouk, M.Sc.
Diabetic Endocine Metabolic Pediatric Unit (DEMPU)
Children’s Hospital, Cairo University

Fifty-two type 1diabetics and 30 age and sex matched children and adolescents were enrolled in the study. The diabetic group included 32 females and 20 males, with age range from 6.0 to 18.3 years and diabetes duration range from 0.1 to 14 years. Both the diabetic and control group were subjected to full history taking and thorough examination which revealed positive consanguinity in 18 (34.6%) diabetics, positive family history of autoimmune disease in 14 (26.9%) and clinical evidence of other autoimmune disease was found in 2 (3.8%) diabetics. Goiter was found in 18 (34.6%) of diabetics studied. The control group had negative family history of autoimmiune disease, had no goiter and no evidence of any autoimmune disease. 

Screening for thyroid autoantibodies, antithyroglobulin (antiTG) and antiperoxidase (antiTPO) antibodies, and thyroid function tests, T3 T4 and TSH, was then done. Thyroid autoimmunity was found in (12/52) 23% of diabetic group Vs 3.3% in control group, with positive antiTG in (6/12) 50% and positive antiTPO in (5/12) 41.6%, and clinical hypothyroidism in (2/12) 16.7%. The presence of thyroid autoimmunity wasn’t significantly related to age or duration of diabetes but was significantly related to the presence of positive consanguinity, and the presence of autoimmune disease in the family. Clinical evidence of thyroid autoimmunity was lacking even in the 2 diabetics with hypothyroidism, and 33% were non-goitrous. Screening for thyroid autoimmunity should thus be done routinely periodically in all type 1 diabetics regardless of their age, diabetes duration, and even in absence of goiter or other clinical evidence of thyroid dysfunction. Thus allowing timely detection and management of thyroid dysfunction that might be overlooked in these patients.

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