The Role of the Hypothyroid Stage of Autoimmune Thyroiditis in Increasing the Level of Homocysteine in Children

Introduction . In the last decade, hypothyroidism has been convincingly shown to be associated with the development of hyperhomocysteinemia. There are studies on the relationship of homocysteine levels with the level of antibodies to thyroperoxidase and thyroglobulin. There are few studies in the available literature on the role of homocysteine in the pathogenesis of autoimmune thyroiditis in the pediatric population. Purpose of the work is to identify the role of the hypothyroid stage of autoimmune thyroiditis in increasing the level of homocysteine in children. Materials and methods . We conducted a cross-sectional study that included 105 children aged 8 to 17.5 years with an established diagnosis of autoimmune thyroiditis and children of health groups 1 and 2. Results . The median homocysteine in children with autoimmune thyroiditis was 8.4 μmol/l. There were no significant differences in homocysteine levels and in the frequency of hyperhomocysteinemia between the groups. The level of homocysteine in the blood serum positively correlated with the level of thyroid-stimulating hormone. Unlike adults, there was no relationship between the level of homocysteine and the level of antibodies to thyroglobulin and thyroperoxidase in children. Discussion . Hypothyroidism is directly related to homocysteinemia in children with autoimmune thyroiditis, which is consistent with the authors’ studies in the adult population. Conclusion . Autoimmune thyroiditis in the hypothyroid stage, uncompensated by medication, is associated with an increase in the level of homocysteine in the blood of children. Further studies are required to confirm the relationship between homocysteine levels and antithyroid antibody activity in children.