Evaluation of thyroid function in junvenile rheumatoid arthritis

Abstract EN

This study is carried cut on 45 children, 30 of them suffering from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA) and 15 healthy children of the same age and sex as controls.

All children were subjected to full clinical examination and laboratory investigations which include : Total serum tri-iodothyronine (T;), Total serum thyoxin (Ti), Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), rheumatoid factor (RF) and antinuclear antibody.

Our results revealed an increase in serum T3, T4 and TSH levels in JRA patients than controls.

There were no relations between increasing age, duration of illness and RF status and the prescence of thyroid dysfunction.

But there was an increase in serum Tj, T4 and TSH levels in males and females of JRA group when compared to the control group.

There was a significant +ve correlation between 7j, T4 and TSH with each other which can be explained by the fact that level ofT3 and T4 in our patients were not so high to cause a -ve feedback mechanism and suppress TSH secretion .

There was no significant correlation between the other variables.

In our study we can confirm the presence of thyroid dysfunction in JRA patients and this association may be due to stress provided by rheumatoid arthritis or may be due to neuro-endocrine-immune dysfunction or due to genetic predisposition to autoimmunity.