Abstract:

Objective To investigate the clinical significance of thyroglobulin antibody （ATG） and thyroid peroxidase antibody （ATPO） in patients with vitiligo. Methods Venous blood samples were obtained from 87 patients with vitiligo and 90 age- and sex-matched normal human controls. Chemiluminescence was applied to measure the serum levels of ATG, ATPO, free triiodothyronine, free tetraiodothyronine and thyroid stimulating hormone （TSH）. Results There was a significant increase in the positivity rates of ATG （23.0% vs 6.7%, P < 0.01） and ATPO （24.1% vs 7.8%, P < 0.01） as well as the serum level of TSH （3.4 ± 2.4 vs 2.4 ± 1.2 pmol/L, P < 0.05） in the patients with vitiligo compared with the normal human controls. It is worth mentioning that all patients positive for ATG or ATPO were diagnosed with vitiligo vulgaris. The positivity rates of ATG and ATPO in patients with vitiligo aged from 11 to 20 years and 21 to 40 years were significantly higher than those in age-matched normal controls （all P < 0.05）. Also, female patients had a higher positivity rate of ATG and ATPO than female controls did （34.1% vs 8.5%, χ2 = 8.90, P < 0.01; 34.1% vs 10.6%, χ2 = 7.29, P < 0.05）. The highest positivity rates of both ATG and ATPO were 53.3%, which were observed in vitiligo patients aged from 11 to 20 years, followed by patients from 21 to 40 years （ATG 34.5%, ATPO 34.5%）. In patients with vitiligo positive for both ATG and ATPO, the occurrence of autoimmune thyroid disease was 70% （14/20）, significantly higher than that in ATG- and ATPO- positive healthy controls （16.7%, χ2 = 5.4, P < 0.05）. Conclusions ATG and ATPO were observed in young female patients with vitiligo vulgaris, and they may be associated with the development of autoimmune thyroid diseases.