Ann Clin Diabetes Endocrinol | Volume 3, Issue 1 | Research Article | Open Access
Abubakar UI1 , Uloko AE2 * and Gezawa ID2
1Department of Medicine, Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Nigeria 2Department of Medicine, Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital, Nigeria
Fulltext PDFBackground: The association of HIV/AIDS and thyroid disorders has been described. Prevalence, pattern and autoimmune status significantly differ from HIV negative control in several studies. Unfortunately, few studies have determined the prevalence of thyroid disorders and autoimmunity among Nigerians living with HIV/AIDS. Objective: To determine the prevalence of thyroid disorders and autoimmunity among patients with HIV/AIDS compared with HIV-negative controls. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional, hospital based comparative study, we consecutively recruited 115 patients with HIV/AIDS attending the Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital PEPFAR/HIV clinic and 115 age and gender-matched HIV negative controls from the GOPD respectively. Study duration was 2 months. We used an interviewer-administered questionnaire to record demographic data, relevant history suggestive of thyroid dysfunction, findings on anthropometric and blood pressure measurements, and thyroid examination. Laboratory data evaluated included thyroid function tests, fasting plasma glucose, CD4 cell count, viral load, plasma lipids, and complete blood count. Results: Of the 115 HIV positive and 115 HIV negative subjects recruited for the study, N(20%) were males, while N(80%) were females in both groups. The mean ± SD age of the subjects and controls was 38.2 ± 9.54 years and 35.9 ± 13.57 years respectively, p=0.138. The prevalence of thyroid dysfunction among the subjects and controls was 32.7% and 34.5% respectively, p=0.775. The predominant form of thyroid disorder identified was primary hypothyroidism, followed by isolated low FT3 among the subjects; while subclinical hypothyroidism followed by primary hypothyroidism is the predominant abnormality among the controls. Thyroid autoimmunity was demonstrated in 14.5% of subjects and 13.6% controls, p=0.846. Conclusion: The predominant form of thyroid disorder among HIV/AIDS patients was primary hypothyroidism, while subclinical hypothyroidism predominated in non-HIV/AIDS patients. The prevalence of anti-TPO antibodies among HIV infected subjects and HIV-negative controls appear to be quite similar. Based on our findings, routine screening for thyroid disorders in patients with HIV/AIDS may not be recommended.
Thyroid disorders; HIV/AIDS; Northern Nigeria
Abubakar UI, Uloko AE, Gezawa ID. Thyroid Disorders and Autoimmunity among Patients with HIV/AIDS in Northern Nigeria. Ann Clin Diabetes Endocrinol. 2020;3(1):1014.