Autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland are certain consequences of the overactivity of the body’s immune defense in relation to its own cells. With such disorders, the immune system can perceive its tissues as foreign elements and therefore begins to fight them – as a result, active autoimmune inflammation (thyroiditis) develops.
The human thyroid gland, despite the relatively small size of this organ, is the most important element of the endocrine system, the functions of which are aimed at the production of hormones necessary for the implementation of all necessary physiological functions of the body. The thyroid gland produces a hormone called thyroxine, which is responsible for the functioning of the body, as well as triiodothyronine. The synthesis of thyroxine is a very important element of the thyroid gland, because this hormone is necessary for the normal course of all metabolic processes in all tissues of the human body, regardless of age. Thyroxine is involved in the functioning of muscles, the cardiovascular system, and also contributes to the well-coordinated work of the brain.
CHARACTERISTIC AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES OF THE THYROID
Autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland can be divided into two types:
- at the first, there is an excessive production of endocrine hormones (Graves disease );
- with the second, everything is just the opposite – the synthesis of hormones is significantly reduced (an example of such a disease is Hashimoto ‘s chronic thyroiditis ).
In Hashimoto’s disease, the lack of synthesis of thyroxine and triiodothyronine manifests itself in lethargy, damage to nerve endings and dry skin. Most often, the disease begins in women between the ages of 30 and 50. It is worth paying attention to the cases of Hashimoto’s disease in relatives, which is an additional risk factor for the disease.
Graves’ disease (hyperthyroidism) develops as a result of increased production of thyroid hormones. This pathological condition is characterized by a number of specific symptoms – the patient has weight loss, trembling in his hands, irritability and increased heart rate. A very important distinguishing feature of Graves’ disease is the appearance of bulging eyes (this symptom develops as a result of the proliferation of fiber located in the orbit behind the eyeball). Patients suffer greatly from excessive sweating and are very sensitive to hot weather conditions. Graves’ disease very often occurs in young women aged 14-25 years.
WHY ARE AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES OF THE THYROGIN DEVELOP?
Autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland develop when the immune system is unable to correctly recognize the cells and tissues of its own body. The immune system, which protects the human body from bacteria, viruses, bacteria, and other agents, produces special proteins called antibodies. Some of these proteins, under certain conditions, acquire the property of destroying their own tissues. This is why they are called autoantibodies .
Autoantibodies have the ability to attack most organs and lead to the development of various disorders in their functioning. The result of such attacks is the development of autoimmune diseases.
Autoimmune thyroiditis (AIT) is the most common form of thyroiditis. There are two types of autoimmune thyroiditis:
- Hypertrophic (Hashimoto’s goiter).
- Atrophic.
AIT of the thyroid gland is caused by the presence of a quantitative or qualitative deficiency of T-lymphocytes.
So, autoimmune thyroiditis should be understood as a chronic autoimmune disease of the endocrine system, which is expressed in lymphoid infiltration of its tissue. This process develops under the influence of factors of an autoimmune nature. The cause of the disease is a genetic defect in the immune system, which leads to the fact that morphological changes of varying severity are observed in the cells of the endocrine glands. The mechanism of the occurrence of autoimmune thyroiditis is still not studied. There is evidence that autoimmune thyroiditis is hereditary, since it is often observed in relatives.
It is well known that AIT of the thyroid gland is a genetically determined disease , the risk of which increases under the influence of external factors. The appearance of autoimmune thyroiditis can be preceded by various influences that lead to a violation of the integrity of the structure of the endocrine gland – injuries (including accidental ones), injuries of the anterior surface of the neck.
The atrophic form of AIT of the thyroid gland most often resembles the clinical picture of hypothyroidism.
Some of the common manifestations of autoimmune thyroiditis are symptoms such as coarseness of facial features, overweight, memory loss, bradycardia, voice changes, blurred speech, shortness of breath during exercise, and skin discoloration. In women, infertility and various menstrual irregularities are very common . Due to the fact that the symptoms (clinical picture) of AIT are quite numerous and varied, the diagnosis of this disease is very often difficult.
Some patients with thyroiditis, especially in the initial stage of the disease, may show signs of thyrotoxicosis. This is due to destructive processes in the tissues of the thyroid gland under the influence of autoimmune aggression.
DIAGNOSTICS AND TREATMENT OF AIT
To diagnose AIT of the thyroid gland, palpation is very often used, a clinical examination of the throat and neck area is performed, the level of hormones of the thyroid gland, pituitary gland, gonads and adrenal glands in the blood is checked, ultrasound of the thyroid gland, and specific autoantibodies in the blood are identified .
Treatment of AIT thyroid gland is usually conservative. It consists in suppressing active autoimmune inflammation, correcting hormonal disorders, as well as eliminating certain manifestations of the disease (palpitations, sweating, increased anxiety or lethargy). In more serious cases, surgery is called a thyroidectomy .