Thyroid Disorder in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Patients in Southeast Iran.

We conducted this study to clarify the prevalence of thyroid dysfunction in patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and compared it to a matched healthy controls group. Eighty-three SLE and 166 matched healthy controls underwent clinical examination and laboratory evaluation for serum T3, T4, TSH and Thyroid peroxides antibody (TPO AB). 24.1% of SLE patients and 13.3% of control group had thyroid dysfunction (p value = 0.04). Clinical thyroid dysfunction was seen neither in SLE patients nor in the control group. Elevated TSH levels were the most common dysfunction (19.3%) of the SLE, compared with control group (5.4%). Positive TPO antibody was detected in 16.9% of SLE and 16.3% of the control group. Mean level of TPO antibody was higher in SLE patients with thyroid dysfunction (137.05) than SLE patients without the disorder (30.8) (p value=0.007). We concluded thyroid dysfunction was more frequent in SLE patients than in healthy controls. Moreover, SLE patients with anti TPO were more likely to have thyroid dysfunction than the control group.