Pattern of IgM and IgG changes depending on the pathological process duration in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis

Abstract

The aim of the study was to find out the pattern of IgM and IgG changes in patients with autoimmune thyroiditis depending on the pathological process duration. Materials and methods. A single-center cross-sectional study with randomization elements enrolled 170 patients with autoimmune thyroiditis, and 65 patients without thyroid pathology or other autoimmune diseases were assigned to sex- and age-matched comparison group (p = 0.6155 and p = 0.3093, respectively). The patients were classified according to thyroid status parameters into subclinical and manifest groups. All study participants were examined on IgM and IgG levels based not only on the clinical form of the disease, but also on the disease duration (up to 5 years and more than 5 years). The control group comprised 65 healthy individuals, including 26 men and 39 women (mean age 38.7 ± 10.8 years). Results. A slight decrease in IgM levels was observed in patients with subclinical form and longer disease duration, which was 1.5 (1.5; 1.7) g/l with the disease duration of up to 5 years and 1.4 (1.2; 1.4) g/l with the disease duration of more than 5 years, while there were no differences in IgM levels in patients with manifest form with longer disease duration. IgG concentrations were statistically significantly higher in both clinical groups of patients with the disease duration of up to 5 years compared to those in patients with the disease duration of more than 5 years (13 (11; 14) g/l up to 5 years and 11 (10; 12) g/l more than 5 years in subclinical group, p < 0.05); 13 (12; 14) g/l up to 5 years and 12 (10; 15) g/l more than 5 years in manifest group, p < 0.05). Conclusions. A downward trend in IgG concentrations is noted with the disease progression and longer duration, while IgM levels are uninformative.

Keywords

• autoimmune thyroiditis
• hashimoto thyroiditis
• autoantibodies
• disease duration
• igm
• igg