[ON THE ISSUE OF AUTOIMMUNE OVARY DAMAGE DURING PUBERTY]

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Reproductive Immunology
• Pediatric Endocrinology

Background:

• Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is common in adolescents.
• The potential impact of AIT on ovarian function and autoimmune ovarian damage is not fully understood.
• Assessing hormonal and ovarian markers in girls with and without AIT is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of AIT on autoimmune ovarian damage.
• To determine correlations between autoantibodies (AOAB, ATPO), hormone levels (gonadotropic, sex hormones, TTH, Prolactin, Progesterone), and ovarian/thyroid function in adolescent girls.
• To identify potential links between hormonal disbalance and ovarian structural changes in AIT.

Main Methods:

• Studied 198 girls aged 10-18, divided into AIT+ (n=166) and AIT- (n=32) groups.
• Measured levels of AOAB, ATPO, gonadotropins, sex hormones (Estrogen, Testosterone), Prolactin, Progesterone, and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TTH).
• Assessed ovarian volume and antral follicle count; analyzed correlations between hormonal levels, autoantibodies, and ovarian parameters across age tertiles.

Main Results:

• The AIT+ group showed higher TTH, Prolactin, and ovarian volume, with lower Progesterone compared to the AIT- group.
• No significant differences in AOAB, Estrogen, Testosterone, or antral follicle counts were observed between groups.
• Significant correlations were found between ATPO, AOAB, gonadotropins, sex hormones, TTH, and ovarian volume in both groups, particularly in higher AOAB tertiles.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents with AIT exhibit hormonal homeostasis and ovarian structure disbalance.
• Elevated ATPO and AOAB levels in girls with AIT may be associated with the development of autoimmune ovarian damage.
• Hormonal and autoantibody profiling is important for assessing reproductive health in adolescent girls with AIT.