Hemoglobin, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies and high blood homocysteine levels in patients with anti-thyroid autoantibodies

[helvella]

OK - small sample. OK - selection according to relatively low incidence other disorders. OK - hypothyroidism determined by in/out of full TSH range. But... the fact that these things are even being talked about as having connections is a plus.

Hemoglobin, iron, and vitamin B12 deficiencies and high blood homocysteine levels in patients with anti-thyroid autoantibodies

Yi-Ping Wang, Hung-Pin Lin, Hsin-Ming Chen, Ying-Shiung Kuo, Ming-Jane Lang, Andy Sun

Open Archive DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jfma.2... |

Publication History

Published Online: July 02, 2012Accepted: April 9, 2012Received: March 15, 2012

Background/Purpose

Autoimmune thyroiditis can be diagnosed by measuring patients' serum levels of thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin antibody (TGA), and anti-thyroid microsomal antibody (TMA). This study evaluated whether there were hematinic deficiencies, high blood homocysteine levels, and serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA) positivity in patients with TGA or TMA.

Methods

The blood hemoglobin (Hb), iron, vitamin B12, folic acid, homocysteine and TSH concentrations and the serum GPCA level in 190 TGA- or TMA-positive patients were measured and compared with the corresponding levels in 190 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects.

Results

We found that 31 (16.3%), 27 (14.2%), 12 (6.3%), and 2 (1.1%) TGA- or TMA-positive patients had deficiencies of Hb (Men<13 g/dL, Women<12 g/dL), iron (< 60 μg/dL), vitamin B12 (< 200 pg/mL), and folic acid (< 4 ng/mL), respectively. Moreover, 25 (13.2%) and 48 (25.3%) TGA- or TMA-positive patients had abnormally high blood homocysteine level and serum GPCA positivity, respectively. TGA- or TMA-positive patients had a significantly higher frequency of Hb (p<0.001), iron (p<0.001), or vitamin B12 deficiency (p=0.001), of abnormally elevated blood homocysteine level (p=0.001), or of serum GPCA positivity (p<0.001) than healthy control subjects. Of 190 TGA- or TMA-positive patients, 8 (4.2%) had lower serum TSH level (< 0.1 μIU/mL, suggestive of hyperthyroidism), 163 (85.8%) had serum TSH level within normal range (0.1–4.5 μIU/mL), and 19 (10%) had higher serum TSH level (>4.5 μIU/mL, suggestive of hypothyroidis).

Conclusion

There are significant deficiencies of hemoglobin, iron, and vitamin B12, abnormally high blood homocysteine levels, and serum GPCA positivity in TGA- or TMA-positive patients. In addition, the majority (85.8%) of TGA- or TMA-positive patients had euthyroid and only a small portion (14.2%) of TGA- or TMA-positive patients had either hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

jfma-online.com/article/S09...

[radd]

Helvella,

Is this new ?

We have known this for ages ! ! ! ....

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to radd]

Not to us!

But even then, the claim that being positive for either type of antibody has effects even when not hypothyroid has not, so far as I am aware, been reported very often.

[radd in reply to helvella]

...[..Not to us ! .. ] ..

I don't understand. Can't many on the forum claim to have ALL or SOME of :

high blood homocysteine levels, serum gastric parietal cell antibody (GPCA), deficiencies of haemoglobin, iron, and vitamin B12, and high TPOAb's & TGAb's ? ? ...

[radd in reply to radd]

Ahhh ..... the point is they are euthyroid ! ! ...

Doh ...

[helvella Administrator Thyroid UK in reply to radd]

Yes! Sorry - I couldn't see the difficulty to help to explain. If you see what I mean.