Abstract
Purpose
The aim was to verify in a pediatric population with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis whether there is a relationship between antithyroid antibodies and inflammatory status on thyroid ultrasound and thyroid function.
Subjects and methods.
A total of 154 children and adolescents, aged 4 to 18 years, diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis with normal body weight were followed up for 1 year.
Results
Patients with only antiperoxidase antibodies presented with higher TSH levels than subjects with only antithyroglobulin antibodies (p 0.027) but with similar FT4 levels and thyroid score. Prevalence of seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in this cohort was 12.3% (19/154). At diagnosis, the seronegative group presented with lower prevalence of overt hypothyroidism, symptoms of hypothyroidism, and thyroid score, meaning less severe thyroid involvement. In contrast, similar TSH and FT4 values were found at diagnosis and during follow-up in both the seronegative and seropositive groups. A comparison between patients with seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis and an overweight/obese antibody-negative population, who presented superimposable altered parenchymal pattern on thyroid ultrasound without circulating antithyroid antibodies, presented similar clinical data.
Conclusion
We report for the first time in the literature that seronegative Hashimoto’s thyroiditis in the pediatric age group has a less severe pattern. The seronegative group presents similar characteristics to those of overweight/obese children and adolescents with ultrasound changes, but, according to the established knowledge, the latter condition is reversible and does not need follow-up examinations.
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Data availability
The data that support the findings of this study are not publicly available because they contain information that could compromise the privacy of research participants, but are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
Abbreviations
- HT:
-
Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Abs:
-
Antibodies
- TGAbs:
-
Antithyroglobulin antibodies
- TPOAbs:
-
Antiperoxidase antibodies
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CR and RF conceived, planned, and conceptualized the study. RF, VC, MB, AL, SL, and FL performed the study. MS and GR wrote the manuscript. All authors critically reviewed and edited the manuscript and approved the final version as submitted.
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The latest revision of the Declaration of Helsinki and the Oviedo Convention were the basis for the ethical conduct of the study. The study protocol was designed and conducted to ensure adherence to the principles and procedures of good clinical practice and to comply with the Italian laws. Ethics approval was not required.
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Rizzardi, C., Franceschi, R., Cauvin, V. et al. Seronegative phenotype in a pediatric population with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis. Hormones 21, 271–276 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-022-00355-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42000-022-00355-0