Thyroid Autoimmunity in Euthyroid Women With Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: A Hospital-Based Case-Control Study

Abstract

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a heterogeneous endocrine disorder characterized by reproductive dysfunction, hyperandrogenism and frequent metabolic abnormalities. Increasing evidence suggests that thyroid autoimmunity may be more common in women with PCOS, including women with normal thyroid hormone concentrations. This study was designed to illustrate the analysis of thyroid autoantibodies in euthyroid women with PCOS. Methods: A hospital-based case-control design was constructed for 200 women aged 18–40 years, comprising 100 euthyroid women with PCOS and 100 euthyroid age-comparable controls. Clinical characteristics, body mass index (BMI), fasting glucose, HOMA-IR, lipid profile, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free thyroxine (free T4), anti-thyroid peroxidase (anti-TPO) and anti-thyroglobulin (anti-TG) antibodies were considered. Group comparisons were performed using independent-samples t tests and Fisher’s exact test, with p<0.05 considered significant. Results: In the dataset, women with PCOS had higher BMI and HOMA-IR than controls. Triglyceride and LDL-C levels were higher and HDL-C was lower in the PCOS group. TSH was comparable between groups, whereas anti-TG and anti-TPO concentrations were higher among women with PCOS. Anti-TG positivity occurred in 31% of PCOS participants versus 12% of controls (OR 3.29; p=0.002), while anti-TPO positivity occurred in 39% versus 14%, respectively (OR 3.93; p<0.001). Conclusion: Thyroid autoantibody burden may be increased in euthyroid women with PCOS despite broadly similar thyroid hormone concentrations.