Effects of Prophylactic Thyroid Hormone Replacement in Euthyroid Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disease. L-thyroxine therapy can reduce the incidence and alleviate the symptoms of this disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prophylactic L-thyroxine treatment on clinical and laboratory findings of patien...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:ENDOCRINE JOURNAL 2005, Vol.52(3), pp.337-343
Main Authors: AKSOY, Duygu Yazgan, KERIMOGLU, Ulku, OKUR, Hamza, CANPINAR, Hande, KARAAGAOGLU, Ergun, YETGIN, Sevgi, KANSU, Emin, GEDIK, Olcay
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Autoantibodies
Autoantibodies - blood
CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - drug effects
CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - drug effects
Euthyroid
Female
Flow Cytometry
Hashimoto's thyroiditis
Hormone Replacement Therapy - methods
Humans
Lymphocyte subpopulations
Male
Middle Aged
T-Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects
Thyroid Function Tests
Thyroiditis, Autoimmune - diagnostic imaging
Thyroiditis, Autoimmune - drug therapy
Thyroiditis, Autoimmune - immunology
Thyrotropin - blood
Thyroxine - blood
Thyroxine - therapeutic use
Triiodothyronine - blood
Ultrasonography
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Summary:Hashimoto's thyroiditis is the most frequent autoimmune thyroid disease. L-thyroxine therapy can reduce the incidence and alleviate the symptoms of this disease. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of prophylactic L-thyroxine treatment on clinical and laboratory findings of patients who were euthyroid at the time of diagnosis. Thirty-three patients who had diagnosis of euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis were randomized to two groups, one group received prophylactic L-thyroxine treatment and the other was followed-up without treatment. Initial thyroid function tests, autoantibodies, ultrasonography, fine needle aspiration biopsy and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets were similar in the two study groups. After 15 months of L-thyroxine treatment, there was a significant increase in free T4 and a significant decrease in TSH and anti-thyroglobulin antibody anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody levels. CD8+ cell counts increased in both groups, CD4/CD8 levels decreased significantly because of the increase in CD8+ cell count levels. Though there was no change in cytological findings, ultrasonography showed a decrease in thyroid volume in L-thyroxine receiving patients whereas an increase was detected in patients who were followed without treatment. In conclusion, prophylactic thyroid hormone therapy can be used in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis even if they are euthyroid.
ISSN:0918-8959
1348-4540
DOI:10.1507/endocrj.52.337