Thyroid Dysfunctions among Jordanian Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis and Systemic Lupus Erythematosus : A Hospital Based Study

Abstract

Objective: To determine the frequency of thyroid dysfunction among Jordanian patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis. Method: This study was conducted in collaboration between Rheumatology and Endocrine clinics at King Hussein Medical Center in the period between January 2010 and July 2010. One hundred and twenty-two patients were studied; 80 patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and 42 patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis were screened for thyroid diseases (clinical or subclinical hyper/hypothyroidism) regardless of their symptoms. The results were compared with 304 apparently healthy controls. Result: A total number of 122 patients, female to male ratio 7.7:1 and a mean age (SD) of 37.1±13.5 years, were included in the study. Twenty-six patients were found to have thyroid function abnormalities. The frequency of thyroid disease was 21.3%. The mean age in the control group was 49.4 years. The frequency of thyroid dysfunction in the control was 6.6%. Subclinical hypothyroidism was seen in 5% of healthy controls, 13.7% of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and 7.1% of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. The majority of cases of subclinical hypothyroidism with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and all cases with Rheumatoid Arthritis were females. Overt hypothyroidism was seen in 0.9% of controls, 8.7% of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and 4.7% of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients. Biochemical hyperthyroidism was seen in 0.3% of controls, 2.5% of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and 2.3% of Rheumatoid Arthritis patients, all of whom were female. Conclusion: Patients with rheumatologic disorders have high frequency rate of thyroid dysfunction. These dysfunctions are often subclinical in nature with female predominance. Screening should be regularly conducted in all patients with rheumatologic diseases for proper early detection and management.