Autoimmune thyroiditis, is a chronic disease in which the body interprets the thyroid glands and its hormone products T3, T4 and TSH as threats, therefore producing special antibodies that target the thyroids cells, thereby destroying it. It may present with hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism and with or without a goiter. Signs and symptoms
The symptoms may vary depending on the thyroid function, i.e. hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism. Hyperthyroidism can cause sweating, rapid heart rate, anxiety, tremors, fatigue, difficulty sleeping, sudden weight loss, and protruding eyes. Hypothyroidism can cause weight gain, fatigue, dry skin, hair loss, intolerance to cold, and constipation. The effects of this disease may be permanent but can sometimes be transient. Symptoms may come and go depending on whether the person receives treatment, and whether the treatment takes effect. Causes
Thyroid autoimmunity is familial. The disease is said to be inherited as a dominant trait since it has been reported that as many as fifty percent of the first degree relatives of patients with some type of autoimmune thyroiditis present with thyroid antibodies in serum.Few studies have even related it to chromosome 21 because of its high correlation with patients with Down syndrome and familial Alzheimer disease. This theory is controversial, since patients with Turner syndrome also present a high prevalence of autoimmune thyroiditis (up to fifty percent). High iodine consumption
Autoimmune thyroiditis has a higher prevalence in societies that have a higher intake of iodine in their diet, such as the United States and Japan.
Categories
Specialists separate autoimmune thyroiditis into two clinical categories. If goiters are present, it is understood as Hashimotos thyroiditis. If the thyroid is atrophic, and does not present goiters, it is called atrophic thyroiditis.Autoimmune thyroiditis can also refer to Graves disease, and various other forms of thyroid illnesses. If the symptoms of thyroiditis appear in women after giving birth, it is called postpartum thyroiditis. Diagnosis
Various tests can be chosen depending on the presenting symptoms. Doctors may search for Thyroid peroxidase Antibodies (TPOAb) when a person has symptoms of hypothyroidism, or when a person will be started on a drug therapy associated with risks of developing hypothyroidism, such as lithium or Interferon alfa. This antibody is related to Hashimotos thyroiditis and Graves disease. If the person presents symptoms of hyperthyroidism, doctors are more likely to test for Thyroid stimulating hormone receptor Antibodies (TRAb), and monitor the effects of anti-thyroid therapy, also associated with Graves disease.Doctors may check Thyroglobulin Antibodies (TgAb) also, whenever a thyroglobulin test is performed to see if the antibody is interfering. TgAb may also be ordered in regular intervals after a person has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer, and just like TPOAb, it can be associated with Hashimotos thyroiditis. Treatment
The usual therapy is Levothyroxine. References


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