Thyroid disorders are common in first-degree relatives of individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Objective: Thyroid diseases are common in individuals with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and should be investigated annually in these individuals. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of thyroid diseases in first degree relatives (FDR) of patients with T1DM. Subjects and methods: Eighty individuals (40 patients with T1DM and 40 FDR) were interviewed and blood was sampled for thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (FT4) and thyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies measurement. Autoantibodies against glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 (GAD65), islet antigen-2 (IA2) and autoantibodies against insulin (AAI) were measured in FDR. Results: We found a similar prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with T1DM and their FDR (22.5% vs. 27.5%; p = 0,79). There were no differences in serumTSH levels (p = 0.29), FT4 (p = 0,45), frequency of abnormal TSH (p = 0.28), positiveTPO antibodies (p = 0.13), titers of TPO antibodies (in positive cases) between patients with T1DM and their FDR (p = 0.94). Conclusions: Thyroid abnormalities seem to be common not only in patients withT1DM but also in their FDR, which suggests that screening strategies for thyroid diseases might also be useful to these individuals.