Asthma Allergy Immunology

Asthma Allergy Immunology

2009, Vol 7, Num, 1     (Pages: 039-043)

Should thyroid function tests and thyroid autoantibodies be investigated in chronic urticaria?

Ülker GÜL 1, Seray ÇAKMAK 1, Müzeyyen GÖNÜL 1, Seçil SOYLU 1, Arzu KILIÇ 1,

1 SB Ankara Numune Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, 2. Dermatoloji Kliniği, Ankara, Türkiye

Viewed: 712
 - 
Downloaded : 285

Objective: Drugs, foods, infections and internal organ diseases are some of the factors accused in etiopathogenesis of the chronic urticaria. In addition to this autoimmunity was considered to have a role in chronic urticaria. Frequency of autoimmune thyroid diseases has been reported to be increased in chronic urticaria. The aim of our study is to determine if there is an alteration in the levels of thyroid hormones and thyroid antibodies and if it is necessary to investigate them in chronic urticaria.

Materials and Methods: Seventy seven patients with chronic urticaria and 71 healthy individuals as control group was included in the study. Free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), antithyroglobulin (AbTG), and antithyroidperoxidase antibody (AbTPO) levels were measured in all of the subjects.

Results: The levels of FT4, TSH and AbTPO and AbTG were not statistically different between two groups. The levels FT3 were found to be significantly increased in the patient group. No significant difference was found between the number of patients and controls who had abnormal levels of FT3, FT4, TSH, AbTPO, AbTG and AbTPO and/or AbTG levels. No correlation was found between the duration of disease and FT3, FT4, TSH, AbTPO and AbTG levels.

Conclusion: In our study as no significant difference was found in thyroid hormone levels and autoantibodies between the patient and control groups except FT3, we recommend the investigation of the levels of thyroid hormones and antibodies in chronic urticaria patients if they have a clinical finding of thyroid disease.

Keywords : Urticaria, thyroid, autoimmunity