Abnormal thyroid function test results in patients with Fisher-Evans syndrome

Area of Science:

• Endocrinology
• Immunology
• Hematology

Background:

• Fisher-Evans syndrome (FES) is a rare autoimmune disorder.
• Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) and idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) are other autoimmune conditions.
• Thyroid dysfunction is common in autoimmune diseases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate thyroid function in FES patients.
• To compare thyroid abnormalities in FES, AIHA, and ITP.
• To investigate the association between FES and autoimmune thyroid disease.

Main Methods:

• Assessed thyroid function tests and autoantibodies in 20 FES, 44 AIHA, and 20 ITP patients.
• Analyzed prevalence of thyroid dysfunction and autoantibodies across the groups.

Main Results:

• Abnormal thyroid function observed in 40% of FES, 25% of AIHA, and 10% of ITP patients.
• Antithyroid antibodies (ATA) prevalence was 25% in FES, higher than in AIHA (11.4%) or ITP (0%).
• Subclinical hypothyroidism (20%) and hyperthyroxinemia (10%) were noted in FES, with 75% of hypothyroid cases positive for ATA.

Conclusions:

• Confirms high prevalence of thyroid abnormalities in AIHA, ITP, and FES.
• Demonstrates a higher prevalence of autoimmune hypothyroidism in FES.
• Suggests FES could be considered within the spectrum of multiple autoimmune syndromes.