A Prospective study of Serum T3, T4 levels and Antithyroid Peroxidase Antibodies in Alopecia Areata patients in a tertiary care center at Karaikal,Puducherry.

Sivakumar Sivasubramaniam; Kode Leela Sravanthi

Volume : X, Issue : VII, July - 2020

A Prospective study of Serum T3, T4 levels and Antithyroid Peroxidase Antibodies in Alopecia Areata patients in a tertiary care center at Karaikal,Puducherry.

Sivakumar Sivasubramaniam, Kode Leela Sravanthi

Abstract :

Background: Alopecia areata (AA) is a common, recurrent form of non–scarring alopecia which often presents as circumscribed patches of spontaneous hair loss. The global prevalence of this disease varies from 0.1% to 0.2% in general population and 7–30 cases per 1000 dermatological patients. The etiology of AA still remains uncertain; however; genetic , environmental factor or autoimmunity are claimed responsible for it. Various autoimmune diseases, such as Hashimoto‘s thyroiditis, diabetes mellitus, vitiligo, and lupus erythematosus, have been reported in association with AA. Aim: The index study was aimed at estimation of serum T3, T4, thyroid–stimulating hormone, and antithyroid peroxidase (TPO) antibodies in Alopecia Areata patients. Material and Methods: Similar age/sex–matched AA patients and controls (60 in each group) were included. Enhanced chemiluminescence immunoassay for thyroid profile and anti–TPO antibody level estimation in venous blood sample were performed. Observations: The mean/standard deviation (SD) of T3 was 3.30 ± 0.84 pg/ml in AA while 3.27 ± 0.67 pg/ml in controls (P = 0.302). Serum mean/SD of T4 level was1.23 ± 0.76 ng/dl in AA patients while 1.17 ± 0.34 ng/dl in controls (P = 0.522). The mean/SD of anti–TPO levels in AA patients was 21.52 ± 35.09 while 56.43 ± 140.72 in controls (P = 0.136). Limitation: The limitation of this study was moderate number of AA patients and different genotype of study population. Conclusion: Occurrence of thyroid dysfunction and evidence of anti–TPO antibodies in AA is rare event in this study population