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Best Practice & Research. Clinical... Jul 2020Subclinical autoimmune thyroiditis exacerbates after delivery through immune rebound mechanisms and results in 5 types of thyroid dysfunction. The prevalence of... (Review)
Review
Subclinical autoimmune thyroiditis exacerbates after delivery through immune rebound mechanisms and results in 5 types of thyroid dysfunction. The prevalence of postpartum thyroid dysfunction is around 5% in mothers in the general population. Typically, an exacerbation induces destructive thyrotoxicosis followed by transient hypothyroidism, known as postpartum thyroiditis. Late development of permanent hypothyroidism is found frequently and patients should be followed up once every one to two years. Destructive thyrotoxicosis in postpartum thyroiditis should carefully be differentiated from post-partum Graves' disease. Postpartum thyroiditis typically occurs 1-4 months after parturition whereas Graves' disease develops at 4-12 months postpartum. Anti-TSH receptor antibodies (TRAb) are typically positive and thyroid blood flow is high in Graves' disease, whereas these features are absent in postpartum thyroiditis. Postpartum Graves' disease should be treated with antithyroid drugs.
Topics: Antithyroid Agents; Breast Feeding; Female; Graves Disease; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Lactation; Pregnancy; Puerperal Disorders; Thyroid Diseases; Thyrotoxicosis
PubMed: 32651061
DOI: 10.1016/j.beem.2020.101438 -
Thyroid Research 2020Levothyroxine (LT) pseudomalabsorption due to medication non-adherence results in significant costs for Health Service. High dose LT or LT/paracetamol absorption test is...
BACKGROUND
Levothyroxine (LT) pseudomalabsorption due to medication non-adherence results in significant costs for Health Service. High dose LT or LT/paracetamol absorption test is used in such cases. Hence, establishment of an optimal test protocol and timing of sample collection is of utmost importance.
CASE PRESENTATION
A 34-year old woman was admitted to our Department because of severe hypothyroidism [on admission thyrotropin (TSH) > 100 μIU/ml, free thyroxine (FT) 0.13 ng/dl (ref. range 0.93-1.7)] despite apparently taking 1000 μg of LT a day. Autoimmune hypothyroidism had been diagnosed 4 years before during post-partum thyroiditis. Subsequently, it was not possible to control her hypothyroidism despite several admissions to two University Hospitals and despite vehement denial of compliance problems. There was no evidence of coeliac disease or other malabsorption problems, though gluten-free and lactose-free diet was empirically instigated without success. A combined paracetamol (1000 mg)/LT (1000 μg) absorption test was performed in one of these Hospitals. This showed good paracetamol absorption (from < 2 μg/ml to 14.11 μg/ml at 120 min), with inadequate LT absorption (FT increase from 5.95 pmol/l to 9.92 pmol/l at 0 and 120 min respectively). About 2 years prior to admission to our Department the patient was treated with escalating doses of levothyroxine [up to 3000 μg of T and 40 μg of triiodothyronine (T) daily] without significant impact on TSH (still > 75 μIU/ml, and FT still below reference range).After admission to our Department we performed a 2500 μg LT absorption test with controlled ingestion of crushed tablets, strict patient monitoring and sampling at 30 min intervals. We observed a quick and striking increase in FT from 0.13 to 0.46, 1.78, 3.05 and 3.81 ng/dl, at 0, 30, 60, 90 and 120 min, respectively. Her TSH concentration decreased to 13.77 μIU/ml within 4 days. When informed, that we had managed to "overcome" her absorption problems, she discharged herself against medical advice and declined psychiatric consultation.
CONCLUSIONS
Adequate patient supervision and frequent sampling (e.g. every 30 min for 210 min) is the key for successful implementation of LT absorption test. Paracetamol coadministration appears superfluous in such cases.
PubMed: 32467734
DOI: 10.1186/s13044-020-00079-6 -
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology... Jul 2020
Topics: Autoimmunity; Female; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Postpartum Thyroiditis; Pregnancy
PubMed: 32422650
DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa284 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2020Postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) has a prevalence of 1-22%, with an ~50% rate of evolution into permanent hypothyroidism (PH). PPT risk is assessed by measuring serum...
Postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) has a prevalence of 1-22%, with an ~50% rate of evolution into permanent hypothyroidism (PH). PPT risk is assessed by measuring serum thyroid antibodies during gestation, as 1/3-1/2 of Ab+ve pregnant women will develop PPT. Family and personal history positive for autoimmune non-thyroid diseases (AINTDT), and consumption of swordfish increases while consumption of small oily fish decreases the risk of PPT. Monitoring thyroid function in a very high-risk subgroup avoids the costs of the Ab-based universal screening. We aimed at identifying such subgroup in 412 women followed from week 7-11 of gestation to month 12 postpartum. At study entry, we measured serum TPOAb, TgAb, TSH, FT4, FT3, and evaluated seafood consumption, familial history for thyroid diseases and AINTD, and personal history for AINTD. We measured TSH, FT4, FT3 at 1.5, 3, 6, and 12 months postpartum. PPT occurred in 63 women (15.3%), and PH in 34/63 (54%). Based on positivity/negativity for the three histories, women were classified into 8 categories, with PPT rates of 3.8-100%. Seafood consumption allowed further separation of subgroups having different PPT risks. We considered 11 possible strategies, termed [a] through [k]. Strategy [a] consisted in omitting gestational screening, while performing universal postpartum monitoring with TSH and one thyroid hormone; strategy [k] consisted in selective gestational screening with TPOAb and TgAb, based on history and fish consumption, and selective postpartum monitoring in TPOAb and/or TgAb+ve women. The 100% sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of strategy [a] were counterbalanced by the highest costs (Euro 32,960 or 523 per each PPT caught). The corresponding numbers for strategy [k] were 78, 95, 93%, and Euro 8,920 or 182/PPT caught. These savings stem from gestational screening being done in 186 women, and postpartum monitoring done in 65/186 women. One gestational screning-free strategy was the cheapest (Euro 2,080 or 83/PPT caught), because based on postpartum monitoring of only 26 women, but had the lowest sensitivity (40%). Identification of pregnant women having different risks for PPT is feasible, with the costless evaluation of history and seafood consumption driving gestational screening of thyroid antibody status and postpartum monitoring of thyroid function.
Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Autoantibodies; Biomarkers; Cohort Studies; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Postpartum Thyroiditis; Pregnancy; Prenatal Diagnosis; Prognosis; Thyroiditis, Autoimmune; Young Adult
PubMed: 32362873
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2020.00220 -
The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology... Jul 2020Postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) is defined as the occurrence of de novo autoimmune thyroid disease accompanied by thyroid dysfunction in the first year postpartum. However,...
CONTEXT
Postpartum thyroiditis (PPT) is defined as the occurrence of de novo autoimmune thyroid disease accompanied by thyroid dysfunction in the first year postpartum. However, hormonal changes resembling the typical pattern of PPT have been reported to occur even in women with pregestational Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) on levothyroxine (LT4).
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the risk of PPT in women with HT antedating pregnancy.
DESIGN/SETTING
Retrospective chart review of pregnant women with HT antedating pregnancy seen in a university hospital (2008-2017), who were followed from preconception up to 1 year after delivery.
PATIENTS
167 women preconceptionally diagnosed with HT and classified as hypothyroid HT (hypo-HT; n = 98) or euthyroid HT (eu-HT; n = 69), according to their thyroid status at the time of diagnosis.
OUTCOME MEASURES
PPT occurrence and associated clinical characteristics/risk factors.
RESULTS
PPT occurred in 65/167 women, with a rate statistically greater in the eu-HT than in the hypo-HT group (68.1% vs 18.4%; odds ratio [OR] 9.49, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.62-19.49). Most of the women experiencing PPT in both groups were euthyroid at the time of first-trimester evaluation (39/47 eu-HT [83%] and 16/18 hypo-HT [88.9%]). Multivariate regression analysis showed eu-HT group and first-trimester euthyroidism to be positively associated with PPT occurrence (ORs 10.71 and 3.89, respectively).
CONCLUSION
PPT may occur in hypo-HT women on LT4 therapy, although significantly less frequently than in eu-HT women. The 4-fold higher risk of PPT in HT women maintaining euthyroidism at first -trimester of gestation suggests that the risk of PPT could be related to the amount of unaffected thyroid tissue.
Topics: Adult; Female; Hashimoto Disease; Humans; Hypothyroidism; Incidence; Postpartum Period; Postpartum Thyroiditis; Pregnancy; Retrospective Studies; Risk; Thyroxine; Young Adult
PubMed: 32301483
DOI: 10.1210/clinem/dgaa197 -
Cureus Feb 2020Background Thyroid disorder is common among pregnant women. Hashimoto thyroiditis is the most common etiology of hypothyroidism among pregnant women. Many studies showed...
Background Thyroid disorder is common among pregnant women. Hashimoto thyroiditis is the most common etiology of hypothyroidism among pregnant women. Many studies showed that hypothyroidism during pregnancy has been associated with negative outcomes for the mother and for child as well including miscarriage, intrauterine growth retardation, preterm delivery and cognitive impairment in the offspring. Objectives To assess the adverse maternal and neonatal outcome among hypothyroidism obese pregnant women. Methods This is a retrospective study conducted among obese pregnant women diagnosed with hypothyroidism attending King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018. For analysis, we used (1) descriptive statistics, (2) Chi-square test, Pearson correlation, independent t-test, and one-way ANOVA to test the difference in thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes. A p-value of <0.05 is used to calculate statistical significance. Results A total of 9095 pregnant women had delivered in the last five years, 65 of these pregnant women had been diagnosed with hypothyroidism and 57 were enrolled in our study. Out of 65, 44 (77.2%) were Saudi, and 13 (22.8%) non-Saudis. Mean age at the time of delivery was 32.9 ± 5.6 years, while BMI means were 35.7 ± 4.6. A total of 35 (61.4%) were from class 1, 14 (26.2%) were from class 2 and eight (12.3%) were from class 3. Out of 57, 16 (28.1%) developed undesired antepartum outcomes, while 14 (21.5%) had postpartum outcomes. Preterm labor, gestational diabetes mellitus, and urinary tract infections were significantly associated with abnormal TSH levels (P < 0.05). Conclusion As demonstrated earlier, hypothyroidism during pregnancy leads to unfavorable outcomes. Therefore, screening for thyroid function tests in prenatal and antenatal periods is vital to avoid potential adverse outcomes.
PubMed: 32190490
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.6938 -
Journal of Endocrinological... Aug 2020Bartolomeo Vivarini (Venezia 1432c.-Venezia 1499c.) was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. The artist was widely influenced by Andrea Mantegna, whose opera was...
INTRODUCTION
Bartolomeo Vivarini (Venezia 1432c.-Venezia 1499c.) was an Italian painter during the Renaissance. The artist was widely influenced by Andrea Mantegna, whose opera was characterized by personages with anatomical details meticulously described.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Some of the most valued paintings of Bartolomeo Vivarini were analyzed. Purpose of the present article is to describe these artworks focusing on female personages represented with thyroid swelling.
RESULTS
A recurring female model in Vivarini's artworks is portrayed with a goitrous neck. This might display a real prevalence of thyroid diseases among young women in the Renaissance age (e.g. postpartum thyroiditis).
CONCLUSIONS
Representation of goiter in the artworks of Vivarini and Mantegna reflects the increased anatomic accuracy and knowledge developed in art since Renaissance and Baroque.
Topics: Female; Goiter; History, 15th Century; Humans; Italy; Male; Medicine in the Arts; Models, Biological; Paintings
PubMed: 32157663
DOI: 10.1007/s40618-020-01217-5 -
Frontiers in Endocrinology 2019The post-partum period is an immunologically peculiar period in a woman's life. Indeed, most of the pregnancy-related immune changes gradually revert in the 12 months... (Review)
Review
The post-partum period is an immunologically peculiar period in a woman's life. Indeed, most of the pregnancy-related immune changes gradually revert in the 12 months following delivery. Although the post-partum period has long been identified as a period of aggravation of autoimmune thyroid diseases, most of the currently available studies took into account the relationship between post-partum and autoimmune thyroiditis. More recently, the potential repercussions of the post-partum period on Graves' disease were also taken into account. The present mini review will briefly overview the most recent advances in our knowledge of the immunology of the post-partum period in relation with the potential repercussions on the clinical course of Graves' disease. Moreover, some peculiar aspects of post-partum Graves' disease in terms of clinical and biochemical presentation, diagnostic challenges, and specific therapeutic considerations also taking into account the recommendation of the latest clinical guidelines on the management of thyroid diseases in pregnancy will be overviewed.
PubMed: 31920967
DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00853 -
Biological Research For Nursing Apr 2020The postpartum period can be a vulnerable time during which many women are prone to mood disturbances. Since telomere length (TL) is known to be associated with... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
BACKGROUND
The postpartum period can be a vulnerable time during which many women are prone to mood disturbances. Since telomere length (TL) is known to be associated with dysphoric moods, inflammation, and stress in many populations, this study's objective was to assess the relationships among TL, dysphoric moods, stress, and inflammation during the postpartum period.
METHOD
This cross-sectional pilot study is a secondary analysis of data collected in a larger parent study of anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) enzyme antibody positive versus negative women. The parent study followed selected mothers every month for 6 postpartum months. From this parent study, a random sample of preserved peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 97 participants collected at 2-4 months postpartum were measured for TL. Data were available on the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6), an inflammatory cytokine, in stimulated ex vivo cultures for 59 of these women. Dysphoric moods and stress were measured. Pearson correlations and linear regressions were performed, controlling for postpartum thyroiditis status and age.
RESULTS
There were no statistically significant relationships between TL and demographic factors, stress, depression, or TPO status. There were significant negative correlations between TL and anxiety and a trend for a relationship between TL and IL-6 levels. IL-6 levels were significantly, positively associated with negative moods.
CONCLUSIONS
Higher anxiety scores and inflammation were associated with shorter TL. Inflammation was related to anxiety and other dysphoric moods and was marginally associated with shorter TLs.
Topics: Adult; Anxiety Disorders; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cytokines; Depressive Disorder, Major; Female; Humans; Inflammation; Iodide Peroxidase; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Middle Aged; Pilot Projects; Postpartum Period; Telomere; Young Adult
PubMed: 31858822
DOI: 10.1177/1099800419890424 -
Journal of Endocrinological... Mar 2020The aim of this study was to systematically investigate whether, and to what extent, the detection of thyroid autoimmunity during pregnancy and in the weeks after... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis
PURPOSE
The aim of this study was to systematically investigate whether, and to what extent, the detection of thyroid autoimmunity during pregnancy and in the weeks after childbirth is associated with an increased risk of developing post-partum depression (PPD), a condition associated with possible adverse outcomes for both mother and offspring. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of longitudinal studies, assessing the incidence of PPD in women with and without anti-thyroperoxidase antibody (TPOAb) positivity.
METHODS
We searched MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL. Methodological quality of the studies was assessed by the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. In the presence of even modest between-studies heterogeneity, assessed by Cochrane Q and I tests, risk ratios (RRs) for PPD were combined using a random effects model. Funnel plot and trim-and-fill analysis were used to assess publication bias.
RESULTS
Five included studies provided information on 449 women with TPOAb-positive and 2483 TPOAb-negative women. Pooled RR indicated a significantly increased risk to develop PPD in TPOAb-positive group (RR 1.49, 95% CI 1.11-2.00; P = 0.008; I = 47%, P = 0.11). Consistent with a possible publication bias, the trim-and-fill test detected two putative missing studies in the funnel plot. Nevertheless, the adjustment for publication bias produced a negligible effect on the pooled estimate (adjusted RR 1.41, 95% CI 1.18-1.68, P = 0.0002).
CONCLUSIONS
Thyroid autoimmunity during pregnancy and in the weeks after childbirth is associated with an increased risk of developing PPD. Further well-designed studies are warranted to confirm this association and elucidate underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.
PROSPERO REGISTRATION
CRD42019129643.
Topics: Autoantibodies; Autoimmunity; Depression, Postpartum; Female; Humans; Iodide Peroxidase; Pregnancy; Risk Factors; Thyroid Gland
PubMed: 31552596
DOI: 10.1007/s40618-019-01120-8