Thyroid function and autoimmunity in sarcoidosis: a case-control study.

AIM To evaluate thyroid function and the presence of antithyroid autoantibodies in patients with sarcoidosis, compared to patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (controls). METHODS Sera were obtained from 26 patients (19 women and 7 men) with active sarcoidosis, age and sex matched to 26 patients with diagnosed chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Baseline thyrotropin, total triiodothyronine and thyroxine, antithyroglobulin autoantibodies, and antithyroid peroxidase autoantibodies were analyzed. RESULTS Only antithyroglobulin autoantibodies were significantly elevated in sarcoidosis patients (p=0.041, Wilcoxon two-sample test). CONCLUSION Basic thyroid function parameters, with the exception of antithyroglobulin autoantibodies, were within the normal limits in patients with sarcoidosis. Their presence should be interpreted as another characteristic of a generalized immune dysfunction in sarcoidosis. Screening of thyroid disease in patients with sarcoidosis does not seem necessary.