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Association between chronic urticaria and thyroid autoimmunity: a prospective study involving 99 patients
L Verneuil1, C Leconte, J J Ballet
1Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, Caen, France. laurence.verneuil@laposte.net
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland)
|April 2, 2004
Summary
Chronic urticaria is significantly linked to thyroid autoimmunity. Testing for thyroid autoantibodies is relevant for chronic urticaria patients, but extensive lab tests are not recommended.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
- Dermatology
Background:
- The association between chronic urticaria (CU) and thyroid autoimmunity is debated.
- Previous studies used less sensitive antibody tests and lacked control groups, limiting interpretability.
- This study addresses these limitations to clarify the link.
Purpose of the Study:
- To statistically determine if chronic urticaria is associated with thyroid autoimmunity.
- To evaluate the diagnostic relevance of thyroid autoantibody testing in CU patients.
Main Methods:
- A prospective case-control study design.
- Compared thyroid autoantibody frequency in 45 CU patients versus 30 healthy controls.
- Assessed CU frequency in patients with and without thyroid autoantibodies.
Main Results:
- Thyroid autoantibodies were significantly more frequent in CU patients (26.7%) than controls (3.3%; p < 0.01).
- No significant difference in CU frequency was observed between thyroid disease patients with or without thyroid antibodies (12.5% vs 9.1%; p = 0.7).
- Thyroid hormone levels were normal in patients with thyroid autoantibodies.
Conclusions:
- A significant association exists between chronic urticaria and thyroid autoimmunity.
- Thyroid autoantibody tests are relevant for patients with chronic urticaria.
- Extensive laboratory investigations beyond thyroid autoantibodies are not indicated for CU patients.