Long-term lithium treatment and thyroid antibodies: a controlled study.
Baethge C, Blumentritt H, Berghöfer A, Bschor T, Glenn T, Adli M, Schlattmann P, Bauer M, Finke R.
Department of Psychiatry, Bipolar and Psychotic Disorders Program, Harvard Medical School, McLean Division of Massachusetts General Hospital, Belmont, Mass., USA.
OBJECTIVE: Because the role of thyroid autoimmunity in the development of lithium-induced thyroid dysfunction remains controversial, we compared the prevalence of thyroid autoantibodies in patients with affective disorders receiving long-term lithium maintenance therapy with that of age- and sex-matched controls. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study with 100 adult patients with major affective disorders diagnosed according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, revised (DSM-III-R), who were undergoing lithium therapy for 6 months or more at a specialized lithium university clinic and 100 age- and sex-matched controls with no history of an axis I psychiatric disorder. Serum autoantibodies against thyroid peroxidase (TPOAb), thyroglobulin (TgAb) and TSH receptors (TRAb) were measured. RESULTS: TPOAb were found in 7 patients and 11 controls, and TgAb were found in 8 patients and 15 controls. TRAb were not found in either group. CONCLUSIONS: In this sample of patients with affective disorders, long-term lithium treatment did not increase the prevalence of thyroid autoimmunity.
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PMID: 16327876 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]PMCID: PMC1277025