Thyroid autoimmunity and dysfunction among chronic hepatitis C patients

ABSTRACT

Forty patients with untreated chronic hepatitis C virus [HCV] infection [22 males and 18 males, their mean age was 40.6 +/- 7.9 with a range of 26-42 years] were studied. Anti-thyroperoxidase [TPO- Ab] and antithyroglobulin [TG-Ab] antibodies were assessed together with the measurement of free T3, T4 and TSH. Fine needle aspirate from thyroid gland was performed for patients with positive thyroid autoantibodies. The study concluded that a considerable number of patients with HCV infection harbored thyroid TPO-Ab and TG-Ab antibodies and had an abnormal thyroid function. The histological evidence of subacute thyroiditis could partly explain the mechanism of thyroid dysfunction in such patients. Thyroid functions should be assessed in patients with HCV infection, even in the absence of thyroid autoantibodies, especially before the initiation of treatment with interferon