AUTHOR=Botta Angela , Rizzo Francesca , Antonielli Tatiana , Ciliberti Alessandra , Garufi Ester , Lanzone Antonio , Garufi Cristina , De Carolis Sara 

TITLE=The Detrimental Effect of Thyroiditis on Pregnancy Outcome of Patients Affected by Autoimmune Diseases: An Open Question

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology

VOLUME=Volume 13 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.827735

DOI=10.3389/fphar.2022.827735

ISSN=1663-9812

ABSTRACT=<p>Few data are available evaluating obstetrical outcome when thyroiditis coexist with autoimmune diseases. Objectives of our study were: 1) To assess the prevalence of thyroiditis in pregnant women with autoimmune diseases; 2) To evaluate the effects on pregnancy outcome when different autoimmune diseases are associated with thyroiditis. Two groups of pregnant women were analysed: a study group of pregnant women with autoimmune diseases (<italic>n</italic> = 268) <italic>versus</italic> a control group of pregnant women (<italic>n</italic> = 1,150). In both groups the research for thyroid antibodies, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies and anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, was performed. The positivity had a prevalence of 17.54% in women with autoimmune diseases (<italic>n</italic> = 47) <italic>versus</italic> 5.57% in the control group (<italic>n</italic> = 64) (<italic>p</italic>-value &lt; 0.00001). Only major rheumatic diseases (MRD) were analysed for pregnancy outcome (week of delivery, birth weight and birth weight percentile): systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) <italic>n</italic> = 36, antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) <italic>n</italic> = 44 and connective tissue diseases (CTD) <italic>n</italic> = 23. MRD were divided according to positive or negative results for thyroid antibodies. Thyroiditis in CDT patients showed a detrimental effect on pregnancy outcome, in terms of earlier week of delivery: 37.86 ± 0.90 (mean ± SD) in CTD with thyroiditis <italic>versus</italic> 38.56 ± 0.73 (mean ± SD) in CTD without thyroiditis (<italic>p</italic>-value = 0.03) and lower birth weight: 2,790.71 g ± 257.17 SD in CTD with thyroiditis <italic>versus</italic> 3,019.33 g ± 305.48 g in CTD without thyroiditis (<italic>p</italic>-value &lt; 0.05). In SLE and APS thyroiditis did not appear to influence pregnancy outcome. However, we suggest investigating anti-thyroid antibodies in all autoimmune diseases with special attention to pregnant women with thyroiditis and CTD.</p>