Changes in Thyroid Peroxidase and Thyroglobulin Antibodies Might Be Associated with Graves' Disease Relapse after Antithyroid Drug Therapy
10.3803/EnM.2019.34.3.268
- Author:
Yun Mi CHOI
1
;
Mi Kyung KWAK
;
Sang Mo HONG
;
Eun Gyoung HONG
Author Information
1. Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University Dongtan Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Hwaseong, Korea. hegletter@hallym.or.kr
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
Graves disease;
Autoantibodies;
Thyroid peroxidase antibody;
Recurrence
- MeSH:
Antibodies;
Autoantibodies;
Diagnosis;
Drug Therapy;
Female;
Graves Disease;
Humans;
Iodide Peroxidase;
Receptors, Thyrotropin;
Recurrence;
Retrospective Studies;
Thyroglobulin;
Thyroid Gland;
Thyrotropin
- From:Endocrinology and Metabolism
2019;34(3):268-274
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
BACKGROUND: Graves' disease (GD) is an autoimmune thyroid disorder caused by antibodies stimulating the thyrotropin (TSH) receptor. TSH receptor antibody (TRAb) measurement is useful for predicting GD relapse after antithyroid drug (ATD) treatment. However, the association of other thyroid autoantibodies with GD relapse remains obscure. METHODS: This retrospective study enrolled patients with GD who were initially treated with ATD. TRAb, thyroid peroxidase antibody (TPOAb), and thyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) were measured at the initial diagnosis and at the time of ATD discontinuation. RESULTS: A total of 55 patients were enrolled. The mean age was 49.7 years, and 39 patients (70.9%) were female. Antibody positivity at diagnosis was 90.9%, 69.1%, and 61.9% for TRAb, TPOAb, TgAb, respectively. Median ATD treatment period was 15.1 months. At the time of ATD withdrawal, TRAb titers decreased uniformly overall. Conversely, TPOAb and TgAb showed various changes. After withdrawal of ATD, 19 patients (34.5%) experienced relapse. No clinical features or laboratory results were significantly related to relapse in the overall patient group. However, in the TPOAb positive group at diagnosis, increasing titer of TPOAb or TgAb after ATD treatment was significantly and independently related to relapse free survival (TPOAb: hazard ratio [HR], 17.99; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.66 to 195.43; P=0.02) (TgAb: HR, 5.73; 95% CI, 1.21 to 27.26; P=0.03). CONCLUSION: Changes in TPOAb or TgAb titers during treatment might be useful for predicting relapse after ATD treatment in patients with positive TPOAb at diagnosis.
