Hashimoto's Thyroiditis among Patients with Thyroid Diseases in Sulaimani City: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

This study aimed to measure the prevalence of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis among patients with thyroid diseases in Sulaimani city and to observe some features of this autoimmune disorder. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, also known as Hashimoto's disease, is an essential cause of Hypothyroidism. Blood samples ‎were collected from 203 patients suffering from thyroid disease in Sulaimani endocrine center and Bakshin Private Hospital in Sulaimani city from December 2018 to March 2019. Serum levels of thyroid hormones, anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies, anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, and anti-‎thyroid-stimulating hormone ‎receptor antibodies were determined using Cobas e411 Immuno‎analyzer; moreover, data about ‎gender, age, and family history of thyroid disease were recorded. The prevalence of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis among all thyroid patients was 62% (n=126/203), while Graves' disease was 15.3% (n=31/203); thus, autoimmune diseases represent 77.3% (157/203) of thyroid diseases. Hypothyroidism is diagnosed in 155/203 (76.4%) thyroid diseases, while the remaining 23.6% were patients with hyperthyroidism. The demographic data revealed that 88.9% (n=112/126) of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis are females, while 11.1 % (n=14/126) are males. The peak incidence of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is in the age group 36-45 years; a family history of thyroid diseases was recorded in 64.3% of Hashimoto's patients. The correlation coefficient between anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies and the ages of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis patients is 0.21938. Hashimoto's Thyroiditis is the main thyroid disorder in Sulaimani city among patients with thyroid diseases, Hypothyroidism, and autoimmune thyroid disorders; both seropositive and seronegative anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies are recorded among Hashimoto's Thyroiditis patients. Family history of thyroid disorders and females of childbearing age are possible risk factors for developing Hashimoto's Thyroiditis. There is no significant correlation between anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies concentrations and ages of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis patients, but these antibodies are much higher in Hashimoto's females than in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis males