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Italian Journal of Pediatrics
Published in: Italian Journal of Pediatrics 1/2015

Open Access 01-12-2015 | Commentary

Peculiarities of autoimmune thyroid diseases in children with Turner or Down syndrome: an overview

Authors: Tommaso Aversa, Fortunato Lombardo, Mariella Valenzise, Maria Francesca Messina, Concetta Sferlazzas, Giuseppina Salzano, Filippo De Luca, Malgorzata Wasniewska

Published in: Italian Journal of Pediatrics | Issue 1/2015

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Abstract

Aim of this commentary is to summarize the salient literature news on the relationships between autoimmune thyroid diseases (ATDs) and either Down syndrome (DS) or Turner syndrome (TS).
According to literature reports both Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) and Graves’ disease (GD) are more frequent in children with DS or TS than in those without these chromosomopathies.
An up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokines might be responsible for the enhanced susceptibility of TS children to ATDs, whereas a dysregulation of immune system may favor the development of ATDs in DS.
In TS children biochemical presentation of HT is less severe than in peer controls. In both DS and TS GD picture at the time of diagnosis is not significantly different than in the pediatric general population.
The evolution over time of GD in DS and TS does not differ from that observed in the pediatric general population, whereas the evolution of HT in both TS and DS is more severe than in girls without these chromosomopathies.
Conclusions: The association with TS or DS is able to affect both epidemiology and course of ATDs by conditioning: a) an increased susceptibility to these disorders; b) a less severe biochemical presentation and a more severe evolutive pattern of HT in TS girls; c) a more severe biochemical presentation and evolution of HT in DS patients.
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Metadata
Title
Peculiarities of autoimmune thyroid diseases in children with Turner or Down syndrome: an overview
Authors
Tommaso Aversa
Fortunato Lombardo
Mariella Valenzise
Maria Francesca Messina
Concetta Sferlazzas
Giuseppina Salzano
Filippo De Luca
Malgorzata Wasniewska
Publication date
01-12-2015
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Italian Journal of Pediatrics / Issue 1/2015
Electronic ISSN: 1824-7288
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13052-015-0146-2

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