Correlations of thyroid autoantibodies with allergic diseases: A case-control study of 434 Chinese patients

There is growing interest in the relationship between allergies and autoimmune diseases, although previous studies have yielded inconsistent results. The thyroglobulin (Tg)/thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb) group consisted of 217 patients with positive thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) and/or TPOAb test results. Another set of 217 age- and sex-matched individuals with both TgAb- and TPOAb-negative results were selected as control group. History of allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), and/or atopic dermatitis (AD) was elicited before autoantibody detection. The association of thyroid autoantibodies with allergic diseases was assessed using univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis, and the results were reported as odds ratios (ORs). TgAb positivity (OR, 2.333) was identified as a risk factor for AR, AD, or CSU in Chinese patients, suggesting the involvement of thyroid autoantibodies in the pathogenesis of atopic reactions. Multivariate regression analysis also confirmed that the presence of TgAb (P = .004), rather than TPOAb (P = .468), had a significant impact on the occurrence of allergic disease. Physicians should carefully monitor atopic symptoms in individuals with elevated TgAb or TPOAb levels to reduce the risk of allergic diseases, such as AR, AD, and CSU.