Autoimmune and Neoplastic Thyroid Diseases Associated with Hepatitis C Chronic Infection

Fallahi, Poupak; Ferrari, Silvia Martina; Politti, Ugo; Giuggioli, Dilia; Ferri, Clodoveo; Antonelli, Alessandro

The prevalence of thyroid disorders in 630 consecutive patients with chronic hepatitis due to HCV infection was investigated; all patients were free of cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma and were not on interferon treatment. Three control groups were included: (a) 389 subjects from an iodine-deficient area, (b) 268 persons living in an area of iodine sufficiency, and (c) 86 patients > 40 years of age with chronic hepatitis B. Levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free T4 (FT4), and free T3 (FT3), as well as AbTgs and AbTPOs, were measured. Mean TSH levels were higher ( = 0.001) and FT3 and FT4 levels were lower ( < 0.0001) in patients with CHC than in all other groups. Patients with CHC were more likely to have hypothyroidism (13% ( = 82)), AbTgs (17% ( = 108)), and AbTPOs (21% ( = 132)) than were any of the other groups. The results of this study suggested that both hypothyroidism and thyroid autoimmunity are more common in patients with CHC, even in the absence of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, or interferon treatment, than in HCV-negative controls or in patients with chronic hepatitis B infection [41] .