Pemphigus and thyroid disease: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

Objective No consensus exists regarding the association between pemphigus and thyroid disease. To explore the relationship between the two conditions by synthesizing the existing data. Methods We performed this review based on PubMed, Embase and Web of Science (from inception to 2022) and used the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for assessing the quality of studies. The outcome was represented by pooled odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). And the publication bias and sensitivity analyses were developed. Results Our analyze finally included six studies containing 17,567 pemphigus patients. Overall, we revealed that pemphigus is significantly associated with hypothyroidism (OR 1.70, 95% CI 1.54–1.87), while not with thyroid cancer (OR 0.93, 95% CI 0.41–2.11) and autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD) (OR 1.64, 95% CI 0.91–2.95). In subgroup analyses, pemphigus was also not associated with Graves’ disease (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.63–1.49) and Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (OR 1.32, 95% CI 0.88–1.97). Conclusion Our results reveal a significant association between pemphigus and hypothyroidism. Considering other relevant studies, we also speculate that the prevalence of AITD is higher in pemphigus patients than in the general population.