Endocrine Abstracts

Introduction: Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) demonstrate, in a number of studies, increased risk of acquiring another autoimmune disease compared to general population. Autoimmune thyroid diseases, type 1 diabetes, psoriasis and inflammatory bowel disease are the most common reported. The aim of our study is to determine potential factors that affect the presence of autoimmune endocrinopathies in patient with relapsing and remitting MS.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study in the outpatient clinic of autoimmune endocrinopathies of the Department of Pathophysiology at Laikon University Hospital. All patients were diagnosed with MS. We collected data from the medical record of patients with MS and autoimmune endocrinopathies. We compared the study group with control group consisting of patients with MS without endocrine autoimmunity. Patients with MS who have been treated with alemtuzumab were excluded from the study due to the association with hyperthyroidism.

Results: A total of 55 patients [29 MS patients with autoimmune endocrinopathy and 26 MS patients without, 46 (83.6%) females] were enrolled in the study. Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) was the most common comorbidity, observed in 20 patients (68, 9%). Moreover, seven patients (24, 1%) had Graves’ disease (GD) and two patients (6, 8%) diabetes mellitus type 1(DM1). Comparing the MS patients with autoimmune endocrinopathies and MS patients without, we observed a statistically significant difference in the mean value of age (50.62±10.95 years vs 42, 88±13.12 years, P=0.021) and the median value of years of disease duration [15 years (range 1-51) vs 9 years (range 1-23). P=0.044]. Performing binary logistic regression analysis neither age nor duration of the disease exhibited independent association with autoimmune endocrinopathy in MS patients. In addition, we did not detect any statistically significant difference between the MS patients with autoimmune endocrinopathy and MS patients without regarding gender, smoking, presence of cancer, presence of other autoimmunities and family history of autoimmunity.

Conclusion: In our study we showed a statistically significant difference in age and MS duration between patients with and without concomitant autoimmune endocrinopathies and HT was the most common disease presented.