Autoimmune Thyroid Disease Affects the Immune System as a Whole

Submitted by JimLow on January 19, 2008 - 12:24pm.

The title of this article is "Modifications of the Immune Responsiveness in Patients with Autoimmune Thyroiditis: Evidence for a Systemic Immune Alteration".
This research article concludes that a degree of "perhiperal immune deficiency" is present in patients with "Hashimoto's thyroiditis", the most common cause of hypothyroidism. The importance of this article in my opinion, is in recognizing that autoimmune hypothyroid disease has a "systemic" (systemwide) effect on these patient's immune systems. This may help explain why patients with thyroid autoimmunity have a higher susceptibility for developing other autoimmune diseases and health disorders of many kinds. It also can help to explain why all symptoms are not relieved in all patients on hormone therapy for autoimmune hypothyroidism because correction of the hypothyroidism may not necessarily mean correction of the disease affecting the immune system as a whole.

Link>>
http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/ben/cpd/2003/00000009/00000024/art00006