State of pituitary­thyroid system in patients with acne from iodine deficiency region

Abstract

Objective — to determine and analyze the state of pituitary-thyroid system in patients with acne disease (AD) who live in the region with natural iodine deficiency.Materials and methods. We have examined 114 patients with acne (66 males and 48 females) aged from 19 to 25 years — residents of Chernivtsi region which is a biogeochemical region with natural iodine deficiency. 28 (24.5 %) of them had a mild course of acne disease, 67 (58.8 %) — acne disease of moderate severity and 19 (16.7 %) — severe clinical course of dermatosis. To assess the state of pituitary-thyroid system using enzyme immunoassay, patients underwent an ultrasound examination of the thyroid gland and had the levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine and triiodothyronine fractions in the blood serum assessed.Results and discussion. In 76 (66.7 %) of the 114 examined patients, permanently residing in the region with natural iodine deficiency, disorders of the pituitary-thyroid system were revealed, which are manifested by changes in the echo structure of the thyroid gland (symptoms of diffuse goiter I and II degree — in 30.7 %, thyroiditis — in 7.9 %, nodular goiter — in 6.1 %, thyroid hypoplasia — in 5.3 %) and/or multidirectional changes in the content of thyroid hormones and TSH in the serum with signs of euthyroidism (in 60.5 %), hyperthyroidism of glands (23.7 %) and hypothyroidism (15.8 %) with predominantly latent or subclinical course of thyroid disease. Changes in the pituitary-thyroid system are significantly more often recorded in patients with moderate and severe clinical course of AD. They are accompanied by more frequent exacerbations of dermatosis. The results of the research prove the feasibility of a comprehensive examination with the use of an ultrasound study of the thyroid gland and determination of serum thyroid hormones and TSH in order to detect thyroid pathology and make differentiated prescription within the complex therapy aimed at normalization of the state of pituitary-thyroid system of patients with AD who live in iodine-deficient regions.Conclusions. The majority (66.7 %) of patients with AD who live in natural iodine deficiency environment revealed violations of the pituitary-thyroid system, manifested by changes in the echo structure of the thyroid gland and the content of thyroid hormones and TSH in blood serum, which are more often recorded in patients with moderate and severe clinical course. If patients live in the region with natural iodine deficiency it is expedient to examine their state of the pituitary-thyroid system and include the means for differentiated correction of the identified thyroid pathology in their complex therapy.