Clinical and Biochemical Predictors of Thyroid Autoantibody Levels in Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.

BACKGROUND

Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) is the most common autoimmune thyroid disease and is characterized by the presence of thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibodies. However, the clinical and biochemical factors associated with these antibodies remain incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the associations between anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibody levels and demographic, clinical, biochemical, and lifestyle-related factors in patients with HT.

METHODS

This retrospective cross-sectional study included 100 patients with HT. Clinical, biochemical, and laboratory data were retrospectively collected from medical records. Group comparisons were performed using non-parametric tests, correlations were assessed using Spearman's rank analysis, and multivariable linear regression was used to identify independent predictors of log-transformed anti-TPO and anti-Tg levels.

RESULTS

Anti-TPO levels differed significantly according to TSH status and were independently associated with higher TSH concentrations, longer disease duration, and lower BMI. Smoking was the only independent predictor of anti-Tg levels. No significant associations were observed between thyroid autoantibody levels and age, sex, vitamin D status, or family history of thyroid disease.

CONCLUSION

Anti-TPO and anti-Tg antibodies demonstrated distinct clinical associations in patients with HT. These findings support the complementary clinical value of both thyroid autoantibodies and should be confirmed in larger prospective multicenter studies.